Defending Our Utility Territory and Serving the Future of Mishawaka and St. Joseph County

Defending Our Utility Territory and Serving the Future of Mishawaka and St. Joseph County

As the City of Mishawaka, we are proud of the role we have played—and continue to play—in the growth and development of our region. Our municipal utilities—Mishawaka Utilities Water (MUW), Wastewater (MUWW), and Sewer—have long been at the forefront of infrastructure planning, investment, and delivery. Now, considering the billion-dollar Microsoft Data Center development, we find ourselves needing to strongly defend what has always been rightfully ours and in the best interest of the citizens of our community: the responsibility and capacity to serve our community, our businesses, and our region through Mishawaka Utilities.

The Microsoft Data Center, a historic investment in our region’s future, was not drawn here by accident. It was made possible by decades of coordinated planning and infrastructure expansion by the City of Mishawaka and in conjunction with St. Joseph County Government—especially along the Capital Avenue corridor. Our city’s utilities have laid the groundwork, committed the resources, and built the systems necessary to support precisely this kind of transformative economic development. Mishawaka has never waited for growth; we have planned for it.

Throughout the development process, we were counted on as a strategic partner to help bring Microsoft to the table. Our leadership and infrastructure were central to creating a feasible path forward. But now, at this critical moment, other entities—the St. Joseph County Regional Water and Sewer District and Granger Water as well as St. Joseph County Governmental officials—are positioning themselves to benefit from our long-standing investments and planning. Their attempts to claim service rights in this area are not only misguided; they are contrary to the best interests of the City of Mishawaka, the residents of St. Joseph County, and Microsoft itself.

We want to be clear: these entities do not have the infrastructure in place, nor the proven capacity, to reliably serve a project of this scale and importance. Mishawaka does. Our utilities are financially strong, expertly managed, and locally accountable. We are prepared to deliver top-tier service to Microsoft and to any other development within our designated territory—just as we always have.

This is not just about geography; it is about principle and who is the best to serve and deliver vital infrastructure and resources. This is about protecting the integrity of public planning, rewarding responsible investment, and ensuring that public utility service remains aligned with the public good—not short-term political ambition or opportunistic overreach. The efforts to undercut our position now, after we have borne the responsibility and cost of long-term development, reflect a disregard for the many years of planning, collaboration, and the very regional spirit that helped attract Microsoft in the first place.

We remain committed to regional progress. But that progress must be rooted in cooperation, respect, and accountability. We ask the public and our community leaders to stand with us as we fight for what is right and the greater good!