TEXAS CITY — The resident behind an effort to recall Texas City Mayor Dedrick Johnson has appealed the city secretary’s rejection of the recall petitions to the Texas City Council, according to a press release from Dolcefino Consulting.

Josh McMeekin, who initiated the recall, notified City Secretary Rhomari Leigh of the appeal and requested a public hearing before the next council meeting.

In the release, Wayne Dolcefino, a spokesman for the recall effort, said the petitions included “hundreds more signatures than needed” and accused the city secretary of rejecting them improperly.

“The Mayor knows it. We know it. We always knew the city secretary would play games and reject the recall petition,” Dolcefino said. “City Secretary Rhomari Leigh has already demonstrated she is willing to flaunt the law, and we believe her rejection of the petition was done illegally.”

According to the recall committee, Leigh refused to validate supplemental petitions submitted to the city and did not provide a detailed explanation of which signatures were considered improper. The group also said nearly 300 supplemental signatures were not provided to the Galveston County Elections Division for review.

The appeal to the council is required before potential litigation can move forward, Dolcefino said.

“We are trying to protect Texas City taxpayers from an expensive legal battle and to honor the will of the voters,” Dolcefino added. “The recall committee of city voters now demand a full hearing before elected officials to examine all the ways the city secretary defrauded the will of the voters.”

City officials have not yet responded publicly to the appeal.

Photo credit: Dolcefino Consulting Press Conference