Granbury City Council to hear five recall petitions after legal fight
The Granbury City Council is set to hear five recall petitions targeting the mayor and four council members, a move stemming from opposition to the proposed Project Patriot data center. A legal dispute over the petitions and the timing of a possible recall election has delayed the process, with city officials stating an election cannot be held until next year. Organizers have raised concerns about transparency, public input, and potential environmental effects of the data center project.
The Granbury City Council is preparing to address five recall petitions Monday evening, targeting Mayor Jim Jarratt, Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Wadley, and council members Greg Corrigan, Gary "Skip" Overdier, and Zeb Ullom. The recall effort originated from significant public opposition to the proposed Project Patriot data center and power-generation campus at Knox Ranch, with organizers citing concerns over transparency, public input, and potential environmental impacts.
The process has been mired in months of legal disputes regarding the petitions' validity and the feasibility of holding a recall election. City officials argue that delays in petition verification make a November election impossible, with the earliest possible date being May of next year. Conversely, petition organizers contended for a November election. The city initially rejected the petitions in July but later informed the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth that they would be presented to the council. A recent appeals court opinion declined to issue a specific order, deeming the city's agreement to present the petitions as resolving that particular dispute. The timing of an election remains a key point of contention.