Recall of San Angelo's Mayor Fails
A recall effort against San Angelo Mayor Tom Thompson, launched by an anti-data center group led by Richard Summers, failed to gather enough signatures. The coalition alleged a lack of transparency during negotiations to sell city-owned land to Emergent/Skybox Datacenters for a proposed 1.2-gigawatt data center. Despite this setback, the group is continuing separate recall efforts against other city council members, indicating ongoing opposition to data center development in the area.
The San Angelo Data Center Citizen Coalition, spearheaded by activist Richard Summers, failed in its bid to recall San Angelo Mayor Tom Thompson. The group initiated the petition last month, accusing Mayor Thompson of a lack of transparency in the negotiations for selling city-owned land to Emergent/Skybox Datacenters for the planned 1.2-gigawatt Skybox Data Center Complex. Thompson has denied any wrongdoing, and the recall effort, which garnered fewer than 1,900 of the required 2,971 signatures, concluded by the June 22, 2026, deadline.
The coalition views the mayoral recall as a referendum on data center development in San Angelo, suggesting the failure to meet the signature threshold indicates mixed public sentiment or support for the economic benefits. While the mayor's recall failed, the coalition is pursuing similar actions against other city council members, including Councilman Harry Thomas, who faces a lower signature threshold for his recall petition by July 28, 2026. Councilwoman Mary Coffey has publicly opposed data centers, while Councilwoman Karen Hesse-Smith is reportedly collaborating with the opposition.
The proposed Skybox Data Center Complex and another project by Cipher data centers, both seeking significant power allocation from ERCOT, are central to the debate. Opponents voice concerns over resource demands, particularly electricity and water, and the transparency of the land sale process. Supporters emphasize job creation, increased tax revenue, and economic growth. The article also touches on national discussions regarding organized funding for anti-data center campaigns and the potential for foreign influence, though local efforts in San Angelo appear driven by residents focusing on transparency and resource issues.