A group of individuals in McKinney, Texas are now calling for three city council members and the mayor to be removed from their positions after the city approved plans for a local mosque. The McKinney Recall group is now pushing for the removal of Mayor Bill Cox and councilmembers Ernest Lynch, Justin Beller, and Gere Feltus as a result of the action.
The effort comes after the city council took a “procedural vote” to approve the plans for a mosque to be built on Virginia Parkway. The Council gave the plans their stamp of approval in a unanimous vote on August 4, 2026, after hours of debating the topic and hearing public comments from residents who stand on both sides of the issue.
The recall group built a Facebook page calling for the public in the area to sign a petition, saying, “This recall is not one issue, it is a pattern. How they spend, what they prioritize, and whether they listen.” In a different post on the page, the group said, “That loss of confidence [in the mayor/council] concerns a broader record of representation, spending, infrastructure, transparency, and responsiveness.”
According to a report from WFAA, the petition doesn’t identify the approval of the plans for the mosque as the main reason for wanting the above mentioned individuals removed from their positions in the local government. Mayor Bill Cox put out a statement of his own addressing the mosque and the people’s right to voice their grievances.
“McKinney residents have every right to make their voices heard and to participate in the political processes available to them. We respect those rights; upholding the law and the constitutional principles that guide our government is a fundamental responsibility. Our focus remains on serving the people of McKinney and continuing the important work before us. To that end, we will continue to work together to keep McKinney moving forward,” the statement read.
John Aselton, the notice designee for the petitioners’ committee, also put out a statement. “The McKinney Recall Committee appreciates WFAA’s coverage and welcomes the opportunity to clarify the record. The recall is not an effort to punish elected officials for approving a mosque or for complying with applicable land-use law.”
“The City-accepted affidavit states one ground: ‘A loss of public confidence in the ability of the officers named herein to faithfully represent the citizens of the City of McKinney,'” Aselton continued. “That loss of confidence concerns a broader record of spending, infrastructure, growth, transparency, priorities, responsiveness, and whether City Hall listens to the residents it serves.”
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“The August 4 meeting occurred within that broader context, but the recall is not a religious grievance. Muslim residents possess the same constitutional rights and protections as every other McKinney resident,” he stated, adding, “McKinney’s Charter gives voters a lawful process to decide whether elected officials continue to retain their confidence. We encourage residents to review the affidavit, examine the public record, and make their own informed decision.”
Some of the individuals who spoke at the meeting about the mosque said they feel it presents a “serious threat to McKinney and America.” Jessica Hulcy shared that she’s afraid the members of the religion could ultimately be dangerous, stating that “The Quran advocates violence.” Congressman Keith Self (R-McKinney) spoke about the plans, issuing a warning about the dangers posed by the Islamic religion. He received a standing ovation.
Watch one particularly agitated community member, a former Iranian who said he lived under Islamic rule, sound off on the proposal:
Featured Image: Mayor Bill Cox, Facebook