A group of five voters has initiated a petition to remove Mayor Bill Cox and three City Council members from office in McKinney. The recall campaign, which targets Mayor Cox, At-Large Council Member Ernest Lynch, District 3 Council Member Geré Feltus, and District 1 Council Member Justin Beller, is grounded in allegations of lost public confidence regarding the officials' ability to represent residents.
The sworn affidavit filed with the city on August 11 does not explicitly mention a recent vote concerning a local mosque or cite specific council decisions as grounds for removal. Instead, organizers describe the effort as a response to wider issues involving municipal spending, transparency, rapid development, and infrastructure management.
Jeff Hall, a McKinney resident and supporter of the recall, stated that his primary concern is the lack of responsiveness from elected officials. He noted that he emailed Mayor Pro Tem Rick Franklin regarding upcoming council meetings in late July but received no reply. Hall argued that this silence demonstrates that constituent voices are being ignored by city leadership.
Hall also pointed to McKinney’s rapid population growth and increasing traffic congestion as critical issues requiring scrutiny of major development projects. He identified the recently approved Islamic campus as one such project that raises concerns for nearby residents about future infrastructure strain.
Another supporter, Ashley Louden, highlighted traffic conditions around the association’s current location near Eldorado Parkway and Hardin Boulevard. She described Friday parking shortages at a nearby Tom Thumb store, where worshippers have historically parked due to limited space at the mosque. A 2022 city memo confirmed that some congregants crossed Hardin Boulevard to access the grocery store lot.
