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WEST JORDAN — Jamie Bevilhimer makes $14,000 a year, she said, so potential strains on her finances make her nervous.

The widow and longtime West Jordan resident shared those concerns with city leaders Wednesday night during a public hearing on plans for a Facebook data center in the city.

Because the mayor and City Council were elected to represent her, Bevilhimer said, any potential costs being passed on to residents should be should be carefully scrutinized.

"I want to know that … things are not going to happen later where I'm going to pay more," Bevilhimer told the West Jordan City Council and Mayor Kim Rolfe. "I cannot afford an extra fee on my water."

A city development proposal known as Project Discus has been discussed for more than a year, city officials said, but reports that it included a fast-approaching deal between the city and Facebook came as a sudden surprise to some city residents.

Bevilhimer, who was otherwise complimentary of the City Council, said she would have liked more updates and better information about the project as it progressed.

"Let the people know what's going on," she said. "I want this city to be great."

If built, the 550,000-square-foot building would be one of the largest data centers in the world. Although he hasn't publicly named Faceboook as the interested company, Rolfe has said the prominent Project Discus client hopes to break ground on the West Jordan site by the end of August.

Resident Steve Jones said he is open to the project, but only if it doesn't affect residents' taxes or water fees.

"Who is going to pay for (repairs to) the core roads when the heavy trucks start rolling (during construction)?" he asked the council.

Jones said he also has concerns about how many of the new data center jobs would be given to local people, and whether the employees from out of the area would choose to live in West Jordan.

"If you can tell me as an individual that I don't have to pay one dime," he said, "(then) put it in."

Related:

Deal to lure Facebook to West Jordan may not need county support Elected officials in West Jordan and Salt Lake County appear locked in an impasse over a $240 million tax break deal to lure an enormous Facebook data center to Utah after a contentious meeting Tuesday.

West Jordan and Salt Lake County officials have been at odds over the proposed data center. County Mayor Ben McAdams has said the county can't support behind the proposal as it stands because of the $240 million in tax exemptions that would be guaranteed to finalize the deal, which is estimated to create about 70 to 100 new jobs.

McAdams also has said the new data center would legally require about 5 million gallons of water per day.

Rolfe has said the incentives offered as part of the project are a good investment because of the businesses that will inevitably be attracted to that area. He said earlier this week that fears over Facebook's water use are due to "a lot of misinformation."

Speaking in favor of Project Discus, West Jordan City Councilman Chad Nichols said city planners estimate actual daily use of water at the data center would total "significantly" less than 1 million gallons.

Councilman Zach Jacob also spoke in favor of the data center, assuring residents that water rates and taxes would not increase as a result of the center.

"If it was going to cause your water rates to go up, I'd be against it as well," Jacob said.

West Jordan resident Jamie Bevilhimer speaks during a City Council meeting at West Jordan City Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016. (Photo: Weston Kenney, Deseret News)

McAdams says he believes the tax exemption and water usage figures need more scrutiny from taxpayers, noting that many of them have been in the dark about the proposed project for more than a year.

West Jordan may still have enough votes to ratify the deal despite Salt Lake County's opposition. The project could be approved on Aug. 22 at a West Jordan Taxing Entity Committee if six of the eight committee members vote in favor of it.

The county holds two of those votes, as do the city and the Jordan School Board. One vote is reserved for the State School Board and another is set aside for all other taxing entities represented on the committee. Jordan School Board member Matt Young indicated during the board's meeting Tuesday that the group is likely the "swing vote" on the project.

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