Husband of Fort Worth mayor listed as lobbyist for data center industry group
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker’s husband, David, is listed as having been a lobbyist for a data center industry trade group since January, according to a filing with the Texas Ethic Commission.
The Virginia-based Data Center Coalition describes itself as representing and advancing the interests of the data center community through policy advocacy, informing public officials and promoting the benefits of the industry.
The group’s members include Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft, however, neither Edged nor Black Mountain Energy — who are developing data centers in Fort Worth — are listed on the group’s membership page.
The city is considering new rules to regulate data center development amid increasing opposition from residents., and is hosting an open house June 30 at City Hall to outline the proposed policy changes.
David Parker serves as the managing director of government affairs and strategy with the lobbying firm Longbow Partners.
The Data Center Coalition is one of 37 groups he’s listed as representing as a lobbyist, according to the Texas Ethics Commission.
Others include the Dallas Regional Chamber, the Texas Association of Realtors and Uber Technologies.
The city’s ethics rules prohibit public officials or their partners from accepting or soliciting “any benefit from any person, group or business entity that might reasonably tend to influence the officer, employee or advisory board member in the discharge of his or her official duties.”
In a phone call with the Star-Telegram, Mayor Mattie Parker stressed neither she nor her husband have received any direct benefit from the coalition.
She said his firm has a policy of listing all its members as lobbyists for their clients rather than the individual partner doing the actual lobbying work.
In a statement texted to the Star-Telegram before the phone call, Parker’s spokesperson said the mayor stressed that neither her husband’s firm nor his profession has any bearing on her decisions regarding matters before the City Council.
Parker noted in the statement that an Austin-based member of her husband’s firm has worked for the Data Center Coalition on state policy for years, but that her husband does not do direct advocacy for the group.
“Cities around the state and country are grappling with data center policy right now and Fort Worth is no different,” Parker said in the statement.
She said a June 2 city staff presentation on regulations was a starting point and the final decision will be made in August.
Parker, who serves as the chief of staff at Cook Children’s Hospital, has filed a conflict of interest form disclosing her employment and regularly recuses herself from votes involving city business with the hospital network.
In an email to the Star-Telegram, city spokesperson Sana Syed said the “is committed to transparency and openness, especially as the city council continues its discussions on data centers.”
Syed said that recusals and disclosure questions are important and will be reviewed by the city attorney’s office.
“At this time, there is no known reason for anyone on Council to recuse or disclose any legal conflict of interest regarding data centers,” she said, while encouraging residents to review the city code on recusals.
The Fort Worth City Council is considering a slate of changes to its development codes to protect residents from the negative effects of data center development while still capturing some economic benefit for the city.
However, a growing number of residents have been regularly showing up to city council meetings advocating for a moratorium on data center development, pointing to issues with noise pollution, water use, and electricity costs.
“It is a shame that the mayor of the 10th-largest city can belittle community voices and the rise in public engagement across Fort Worth who asking for a data center moratorium while her husband is lobbying on behalf of the data center industry,” said E.J. Carrion, an activist and leader of the 817 Gather group opposing data center expansion in Fort Worth.
A final vote on the proposed zoning changes is expected at the 6 p.m. City Council meeting on Aug. 11.
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