Recall battle brews in Texas as residents push to add voter power without council support

Residents in Taylor, Texas, are moving forward with a petition drive after city leaders declined to support a recall measure for the November 3 ballot.

For some frustrated locals, the fight has become a test of how much power residents should have as trust in local government slips.

What's happening?

Council members received seven recommended charter amendments at their July 9 meeting, but a proposal allowing voters to recall council members was not among them, according to the Taylor Press.

Even so, the council still gets the final say on which changes will appear before voters on November 3.

In response, recall supporters are preparing a petition that residents can download and sign as part of an effort to add that power to Taylor's city charter.

Recall was taken up twice by the Charter Review Commission, but it never won the majority recommendation needed to move forward.

The measure lost on a 5-4 vote, and one commissioner later said confusion about the motion may have affected the result.

Among the charter changes that did advance were term limits for officeholders and stronger notice requirements before votes on developments that had previously been identified by code names.

Why does it matter?

Statewide norms make Taylor's debate stand out. The Texas Municipal League says that as of 2011, about 90% of Texas home-rule cities had some form of recall process in their charters, making Taylor's reluctance less typical than routine.

Opponents, however, have warned that recall powers could be abused.

John McDonald, who chaired the Charter Review Commission, said members were concerned about frivolous recalls and about the possibility that several council members could be removed at once, temporarily disrupting the city's ability to function.

What's being done?

For now, the effort is centered on the petition drive. Residents backing the recall are trying to create a formal way to demonstrate public support even without clear encouragement from the council.

Before the council makes its final decision on what to send to voters in November, the public is still expected to have another chance to weigh in through a hearing on the charter amendments.

The broader list of amendments shows that residents are also pushing for more predictability and openness in city government. Measures such as term limits and better notice before development votes suggest a broader effort to create a system that feels more responsive and less closed off.

"From my perspective, it was a healthy discussion," said Charles Zech, an attorney with Denton Navarro Rodriguez Bernal Santee & Zech who advised the commission. "Ultimately, it was a split vote to not recommend placing recall on the ballot."

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.