McKinney recall organizers say they have internally verified 6,500 petition signatures from registered city voters, placing the campaign 695 signatures above the 5,805 the committee says the city required for the effort to advance toward a recall election.
John Aselton, the petitioners’ committee notice designee, told The Dallas Express on Wednesday that organizers crossed the required number last week and have continued collecting signatures ahead of the 5 p.m. September 26 deadline.
The McKinney city secretary has not reviewed or certified the campaign’s count. The office’s examination will determine whether the petition contains enough valid signatures under the city charter and controlling election rules.
Campaign builds buffer before deadline
“The campaign’s required number as specified by the City is 5,805. We cleared that number last week,” Aselton said in an email to DX.
“Verified means the signer is a McKinney Resident, eligible to vote in city elections and is an active registered voter with a valid McKinney Address,” Aselton added. “The 6,500 excludes duplicates, withdrawals and internal rejections due to invalid signatures.”
Aselton said the city provided the campaign’s petition forms. The campaign’s published rules state that voters must sign numbered, city-issued paper in person with a circulator present. Organizers plan to continue gathering signatures until they reach their 7,500-signature target.
The reported count gives the campaign a 695-signature buffer, or approximately 12%, before the city begins its own review.
Public disclosure warnings drew intimidation claims
The milestone follows weeks of dispute over how recall opponents spoke about residents who signed or considered signing the petition. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, former Mayor George Fuller wrote that filing the petition would make signers’ names and addresses available for lawful disclosure. He told signers to “own” their decision and be “accountable for the consequences” it could have for McKinney.
Fuller also wrote that the community “deserves to know who is willing to damage McKinney in pursuit of this effort.” The recall committee called his message political intimidation.
A TikTok video provided separate evidence that at least one recall opponent publicly advocated tactics intended to disrupt signature collection. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the woman in the video urged viewers to create fake volunteer sign-ups, consume petition circulators’ time and pressure businesses that allowed petition activity. DX did not establish how many people followed the advice or any connection between the TikTok user and Fuller.
Former McKinney Housing Finance Corporation board member Paul Shirar later wrote that petition signers “should absolutely be afraid.” A subsequent DX review of committee materials found that some residents withdrew or declined to sign over privacy concerns. The reporting did not establish coordinated retaliation, an actual job loss or a crime.
City review remains decisive
Fuller responded before Aselton provided the updated 6,500 total. “The relevant question now is how many are ultimately determined by the City Secretary to be valid,” Fuller told The Dallas Express. He said McKinney voters should decide the recall if the petition satisfies the charter and said he has no intention of publishing or distributing petition signers’ names or home addresses.
Fuller said he had seen videos of people making “demonstrably false representations” while soliciting signatures. He did not provide the videos to DX before publication, so DX could not independently assess their contents or context.
Recall targets four officials
Five registered McKinney voters filed the recall affidavit in August against Mayor Bill Cox, At Large 1 Council Member Ernest Lynch, District 3 Council Member Geré Feltus and District 1 Council Member Justin Beller, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The affidavit states one formal ground: “A loss of public confidence in the ability of the officers named herein to faithfully represent the citizens of the City of McKinney.” Organizers cite concerns about spending, transparency, airport expansion, infrastructure and City Hall responsiveness.
The filing followed the City Council’s August 4 approval of a mosque and Islamic center site plan, but the affidavit does not identify the mosque or any specific council vote as grounds for removal.
The campaign must submit the completed petition to the city secretary by Saturday’s deadline. The city secretary will then examine the signatures. If the petition qualifies and the named officials do not resign within the charter period, the City Council must order a recall election, according to the published process.
Provided by Dallas Express
