In McKinney, Texas, residents packed City Hall on Aug. 4 to oppose a new mosque complex on Virginia Parkway. The McKinney City Council listened for hours, then voted unanimously to approve the site plan.
Days later, Mayor Bill Cox and council members Justin Beller, Geré Feltus, and Ernest Lynch found themselves targeted by a recall effort.
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.”
There's real anger, but there's also an uncomfortable legal fact: the property was already zoned for uses that included religious assembly, and city staff found the plan fully compliant with existing development rules. The proposal includes three buildings totaling 32,573 square feet, and the city's traffic review found nearby streets and intersections were expected to operate within acceptable standards.
Council members weren't deciding from scratch whether a mosque could occupy the property; the permitted uses had already been established years earlier. Residents could object, speak, organize, and pressure their representatives, but the council was reviewing a site plan that city planners said met the rules already on the books.
A recall affidavit has been filed with the city of McKinney and official petition papers have been issued for circulation, city officials confirmed.
The campaign, called McKinney Recall, is collecting signatures to recall, or remove from office, the following public officials: Mayor Bill Cox and McKinney City Council members Justin Beller, Geré Feltus and Ernest Lynch.
What you need to know
Under terms of McKinney’s City Charter, the petition must be returned to the City Secretary’s office within 45 days of filing the affidavit. The petition must be signed by at least 5,805 qualified voters living within McKinney, which is 30% of the total number of votes cast in McKinney’s last regular municipal election.
McKinney’s last regular municipal election was held May 3, 2025, in which 19,350 votes were cast, according to Collin County election results. Once the petition is returned, the city secretary has 30 days to examine and verify that each signature is a qualified voter in McKinney.
If the petition meets requirements, the city secretary will notify the affected council members within five days or at the next council meeting, according to the city charter. If the notified council members do not resign within five days, council will order a citywide recall election.
Residents still possess political power. Recall organizers must gather 5,805 valid signatures by Sept. 26, equal to 30% of the votes cast in McKinney's last regular municipal election. If they succeed and the targeted officials don't resign, McKinney's charter provides for a recall election.
Stevens Point, Wis., offers a much smaller controversy with a stronger land-use argument. Residents opposed converting residential property near County Road HH and Hoover Road into commercial development that would eventually include a Kwik Trip. The Plan Commission rejected the rezoning, yet the Common Council approved it 6-5 in August 2025 after extensive public opposition.
The project continued. By February, the Plan Commission advanced conditional-use permits for a gas station, car wash, and related development after another divided public hearing.
The Common Council subsequently approved the Kwik Trip development.
A mosque and a convenience store don't carry the same cultural, political, or religious weight. Comparing their importance would be foolish, but the connection is similar. In both communities, residents showed up, objected, and watched the government move forward anyway.
Which group has the stronger argument against City Hall? On the narrow land-use question, Stevens Point residents do. Their council made the political choice to rezone residential land for commercial development. McKinney officials faced a plan that city staff said already satisfied existing zoning and development requirements.
Public hearings can't become ceremonial exercises where officials wait for the clock to run out. Listening doesn't require surrendering every vote to the loudest room; it requires clearly explaining decisions, respecting opposition, and remembering who handed elected officials their authority.
McKinney residents are now using the mechanism their charter gives them. Stevens Point residents have elections, public pressure, and future zoning battles. Government doesn't guarantee people a win whenever they object; it remains answerable to them.
So who is in charge?
City Councils hold power for a term, but the people decide whether they get to keep it.
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