Leaders of a recall campaign in McKinney report that their petition has exceeded the required number of signatures to force an election for four City Council members. The group aims to remove Mayor Bill Cox and council members Justin Beller, Geré Feltus, and Ernest Lynch from office.
The petition deadline is set for Saturday at 5 p.m., after which the city must verify the validity of the collected signatures.
John Aselton, a key figure in the recall drive, posted on social media on Thursday that the petition had surpassed 6,500 signatures. To trigger a recall election, the organizers need approximately 5,800 valid signatures from registered voters, a figure representing at least 30% of the votes cast in the previous regular municipal election.
The city secretary will review the submitted documents and report the findings to the City Council, a process that could take several weeks.
The initiative began in mid-August, following the City Council’s approval of a site plan for a mosque. During the public comment period, hundreds of residents spoke against the approval, while council members described the decision as a procedural evaluation rather than an endorsement of any religion.
Some supporters of the recall effort have cited broader concerns about the council’s handling of development and infrastructure issues, including projects such as the McKinney National Airport and the Sunset Amphitheater.
