CM Rollin Horton Takes Money From PACs Connected to DC Blox Attorney While Pushing Data Center Regs

Councilmember Rollin Horton

by Megan Podsiedlik, The Pamphleteer, June 15, 2026 - Last week, Councilmember Rollin Horton—who is the lead sponsor on the bills that would establish data center regulations in Nashville—raised concerns about some of the language in Councilmember Courtney Johnston’s moratorium that would place a temporary freeze on new data center permits. Horton’s sticking point was the bill’s lack of distinction between large hyperscale data centers and smaller-scale projects.

“Unfortunately, this moratorium makes no such distinction and lumps in the massive hyperscale data centers with high school computer labs and bans all of them,” said Horton.

Though he ultimately voted in support of the bill during its first reading, Horton’s pushback was surprising. The legislation is a temporary freeze on the permitting process, not a permanent ban. In fact, it could give his legislation a bit more breathing room by halting data center applications as the council hammers out the regulations Horton claims to be championing.

Things got even more confusing during last week’s Planning Commission meeting, where Horton appeared to be uncertain about what his own legislation does. He asked whether his proposed setback distances are sufficient, how EPA standards should be incorporated into the ordinance, and whether developers could evade stricter rules by building multiple small data centers.

Horton clearly needs a bit more time to refine his legislation, so why the lack of enthusiasm for a moratorium to halt data centers while the council does its due diligence?

The plot thickens. Digging into Councilmember Horton’s donor list only deepens the mystery and raises serious suspicions about who he really represents. Recent disclosures reveal that Horton has received three contributions from two separate PACs linked to Doug Sloan. The same Doug Sloan who is representing DC Blox as its attorney in the data center proposal next to the zoo.

Between November and December 2025, the Thompson Burton PAC—a corporate PAC linked to the law firm where Sloan is currently a partner representing DC Blox—contributed $1,000 directly to Horton. The Holland & Knight Tennessee PAC, where Sloan was formerly a partner, contributed $500.

Though DC Blox has submitted permit applications to Metro, the data center firm has yet to actually close on the sale of the property. Under the guidance of Nashville Zoo land-use attorney and former Metro Codes Director Bill Herbert, the zoo filed an appeal to the permit. Councilmember Courtney Johnston plans to file a similar challenge as well, though the current BZA map is only reflecting the zoo’s submission.

If either appeal is honored, it could gum up DC Blox’s data center application. Though, it’s unclear whether it would restart the permit process or subject the company to any new regulations if the council moves forward with data center guardrails.

That said, if the legislation to temporarily freeze permitting could potentially help bring the proposed data center near the zoo—or any new data center—under the purview of Horton’s new regulations, why be a stick-in-the-mud?

***Shortly before we published, Mayor Freddie O'Connell issued Executive Order 59 in support of a moratorium on new data center development.

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