The Granbury City Council announced a special meeting for September 28 at 6 p.m. in Granbury City Hall to conduct public hearings on recall petitions aimed at five of the city’s six elected officials. The agenda, posted on the city’s official calendar, lists separate hearings for Mayor Jim Jarratt, Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Wadley, and Councilmembers Gary “Skip” Overdier, Zeb Ullom and Greg Corrigan.
Petitions failed to meet legal standards
In July, the City of Granbury received recall petitions against all five officials. However, the city secretary and city attorney declined to certify the petitions, stating they did not satisfy the Texas Election Code or the Granbury City Charter requirements for valid signatures and sufficiently specific allegations. The upcoming hearings are being held pursuant to Article 4.08 of the Granbury City Charter.
Local Republicans weigh in
Kolton Krottinger, a Hood County Republican Party precinct chairman, told The Dallas Express the controversy centers on whether residents feel their government is listening. “At the end of the day, this is about whether the people are being heard,” he said. Krottinger added that when citizens perceive decisions being made behind closed doors, trust in government erodes.
He acknowledged personal friendships with some of the officials but emphasized that “friendship cannot come before accountability.” Krottinger also criticized what he called “backroom deals” and “government overreach,” arguing that Granbury’s leaders must answer to the voters who put them in office.
Background: Project Patriot dispute
The recall effort grew out of months of controversy surrounding Project Patriot, a proposed large‑scale power‑generation and artificial‑intelligence data‑center campus planned for the roughly 2,000‑acre Knox Ranch property. Residents raised concerns about transparency, potential environmental impacts, infrastructure demands, alleged violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act, and the handling of annexation and rezoning for the site. Those allegations remain disputed and have not been adjudicated in court.
What the hearings will cover
During the September 28 meeting, the council will hear from petition organizers, city officials, and any members of the public who wish to comment. The city will also provide online access to the proceedings for residents unable to attend in person at 116 W. Bridge St.
Implications for Granbury governance
If the council determines the petitions meet the statutory thresholds, it could move toward a recall election, a process that would allow voters to decide whether to remove the targeted officials from office before the next regular election cycle. Until then, the officials continue to serve in their respective roles: Jarratt as mayor, Wadley as mayor pro tem, Overdier as Place 4 council member, Ullom as Place 5 council member, and Corrigan as Place 6 council member.
The hearings represent a key moment for Granbury residents who feel their voices have been ignored, as well as for officials who assert they are acting within the law and in the community’s best interests. The outcome will shape the city’s leadership and its handling of the contentious Project Patriot development.
Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.
