Recall organizers in McKinney state they have internally verified 6,500 petition signatures from registered city voters. This total places the effort 695 signatures above the 5,805 threshold required by the city for the recall to advance toward an election.
John Aselton, the designee for the petitioners' committee, confirmed the milestone in a recent email. He noted that the group cleared the official requirement last week and continues collecting signatures ahead of the 5 p.m. September 26 deadline. The campaign aims to reach a target of 7,500 signatures.
Aselton defined their verification process as confirming that each signer is an active registered voter with a valid McKinney address. He stated the count excludes duplicates, withdrawals, and internal rejections for invalid information. The city has not yet reviewed or certified the campaign's count; the city secretary's office will determine validity under the city charter and election rules.
The recall petition targets Mayor Bill Cox, At Large 1 Council Member Ernest Lynch, District 3 Council Member Gere Feltus, and District 1 Council Member Justin Beller. Organizers cite a loss of public confidence in these officials' ability to represent citizens.
The signature count follows weeks of dispute regarding tactics used by recall opponents. Former Mayor George Fuller wrote that filing the petition would make signers' names and addresses available for lawful disclosure. He urged residents to be accountable for the consequences their decision might have on the community.
