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Home – Texas Politics & News – McKinney Recall Fight Intensifies as Petitioners Allege Intimidation 

McKinney Recall Fight Intensifies as Petitioners Allege Intimidation 

The McKinney City Council recall effort has been underway for nearly a month, with petitioners and their supporters alleging that some former elected officials, city-affiliated individuals, and other residents have attempted to discourage people from signing the petition. 

Petitioners and their supporters, including some Texans who do not live in McKinney, told the Daily Signal that they have faced criticism and what they describe as intimidation or harassment because of their involvement in the recall effort. 

“Opponents of the McKinney recall aren’t just arguing the issues, they’re trying to scare people off from signing. Businesses that let us collect signatures get flooded with calls until they back out. People get followed to their cars, filmed at the tables, and named online so others can pile on,” said petition volunteer Ashley Marie. 

Among those opposing the recall is former McKinney Mayor George Fuller, who has used social media to criticize the effort and question some of its supporters. 

Why the Recall Began 

The recall effort followed the McKinney City Council’s unanimous Aug. 4 vote to approve a mosque relocation proposal, which would be operated by the McKinney Islamic Association. 

The proposed site is a 5-acre tract along Virginia Parkway near two residential neighborhoods and a high school. It would include a 37,000-square-foot facility with a mosque, educational spaces, a gymnasium, and meeting rooms. It will also be designed to accommodate 3,000 people. 

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Residents who spoke at the meeting expressed concerns about the proposed site. Some said Sharia law is incompatible with American traditions and values, while others defended the mosque. 

About a week after the approval, a group of residents filed a petition seeking to recall Mayor Bill Cox and Council Members Justin Beller, Geré Feltus, and Ernest Lynch. The recall petition lists “a loss of public confidence in the ability of the officers named herein to faithfully represent the citizens of the City of McKinney” as its stated ground. 

However, the petitioners’ effort has drawn opposition from residents and former city officials, including Fuller. 

Former Mayor Voices Opposition to Recall 

Fuller has used his Facebook account to criticize the recall effort. 

In a post made the day after the recall effort was announced, Fuller wrote that the names and addresses of people who sign the petition would become available for lawful disclosure once the petition is filed. 

“A group of five people in our community have begun a recall effort targeting four members of the McKinney City Council. What they are not telling those they ask to sign it [sic] is that the day that petition is filed it is available for lawful disclosure and will be published, and the petition includes the names and addresses of every person who signed it,” Fuller wrote. “People have every right to sign a recall petition. But signing a petition to remove elected officials is a political act, and those who participate will have to stand publicly behind that decision.” 

Fuller also wrote that residents should be free to sign the petition but should be prepared to publicly stand behind their decision. 

“If you put your name behind an effort to remove elected officials for following the law, be prepared to stand publicly behind your decision and be accountable for the........

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