Dickinson City Council rejects petition to recall Mayor Sean Skipworth
DICKINSON, Texas - At a recent city council meeting, Dickinson residents witnessed the council's decision to dismiss a petition aiming to recall Mayor Sean Skipworth.
This decision came after two previous unsuccessful attempts to remove Skipworth from office, leaving many frustrated residents eager to voice their concerns. The council chambers were filled to capacity with concerned citizens.
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Darryl Hartwick, a resident, expressed a common sentiment among attendees, stating, "If the citizens don't want you as Mayor, then they'll vote you out. If they want to keep you as Mayor, then you stay as Mayor. Until council makes the decision here, nobody out here's got an answer."
Investigative journalist Wayne Dolcefino shed light on the situation in recent reports, revealing that the former city secretary, who recently resigned, deemed the list of over 1,000 petition signatures insufficient. Despite this, over 900 of the signatures were validated, surpassing the required 698 signatures for the petition.
Brian Rivera, who assisted with the petition efforts, addressed rumors circulating about the validity of signatures, emphasizing the importance of integrity in the process.
The motivation behind the petition stemmed from concerns over high turnover rates at City Hall and the absence of city audits for three consecutive years. Mayor Skipworth addressed the accusations in a 14-minute speech during the meeting, attributing the recall effort to a smear campaign and retaliation for his call for a thorough investigation into a 2022 arrest involving a Dickinson police officer facing felony indictment.
Mayor Sean Skipworth stated, "When I was a kid, there was a chant kids would say to each other: I'm rubber, you're glue. Everything you say bounces off to me and sticks back to you. Folks, that's what this recall is really about. This recall is about the fact that there's a long-term ruling class of power in the city..."
However, tensions ran high during the meeting, with some residents expressing dissatisfaction with Mayor Skipworth's speech. One individual was escorted out by Dickinson police after shouting while the mayor spoke.
Despite the council's decision, those leading the recall effort remain undeterred. They informed FOX 26 that they plan to continue their efforts to remove Mayor Skipworth from office.