FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—After the McKinney City Council unanimously voted to approve a mosque relocation proposal, a group of residents is now pushing a recall effort against several members of the council.
Get prayer updates from IFA.
On Wednesday, Ashley Marie, a local resident, announced on X that a recall effort was underway. The petition seeks to recall McKinney Mayor Bill Cox and Council Members Justin Beller, Geré Feltus, and Ernest Lynch.
“This recall exists because the government does not get the final say—We the People do. When elected officials ignore the community and force decisions we never approved, they forfeit the right to stay in power,” Marie told the Daily Signal in a written statement. “We are seeing it with the amphitheater, the airport.”
The petition states that the grounds for removal are based on “a loss of public confidence in the ability of the officers named herein to faithfully represent the citizens of the City of McKinney.”
The Proposed Site
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.
The facility would be operated by the McKinney Islamic Association, which currently operates a mosque on Eldorado Parkway in a shopping center that includes multiple businesses. The organization says its growing congregation has created the need for a larger facility.
The Council Vote
After the McKinney Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend approval of the association’s plan, the proposal was sent to the McKinney City Council for final approval.
On Aug. 4, the council members unanimously voted to approve the mosque relocation proposal, a decision that led many residents and even elected officials to speak in opposition.
Some residents at the meeting expressed concerns about the proposed site. Some said Sharia law is incompatible with American traditions and values, and one Iranian survivor spoke to the council and urged members to reject the proposal.
Republican U.S. Rep. Keith Self also spoke to the council, telling members to “honor your oath that starts with the U.S. Constitution.”
Other attendees at the meeting supported the proposal, saying the mosque and its members have been part of the community for years, and that the relocation would give a new generation the opportunity to foster community and mutual understanding.
Following public comments, some residents became upset after Beller criticized their concerns as “reckless political rhetoric” and moved to approve the proposed site.
The petitioners have until Sept. 26 to collect 5,805 signatures, which is equivalent to 30% of the turnout in the last general election.
“This is an accountability issue, and we don’t beg for accountability. We take it,” Marie said. “Remove them. Silence is how they win.”
How are you praying about this issue? Share your scriptures and prayers in the comments below.
This article was originally published at the Daily Signal. Photo Credit: mosque islam by Juan Camilo Guarin P on Unsplash).
