Councilmember Thomas Says He Has No Plans to Resign

SAN ANGELO, TX — City Councilmember Harry Thomas said Wednesday he has no plans to resign after a local activist group submitted a petition seeking his recall. 

The San Angelo Data Center Citizen Coalition filed the petition with the city clerk, saying it collected substantially more than the required 47 signatures. 

In a statement issued through the city, Thomas said he has served on the council for more than 10 years and always considers public input.

“I’ve served on the City Council for more than 10 years," Thomas said. "The entirety of that time has required doing thorough background research and factoring in public input when making choices that affect our community. I weigh every decision I’ve ever made on behalf of the 100,000 citizens in San Angelo. Every time I vote, I vote for all the citizens. I have no plans to resign from my position."

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The petition was submitted nearly two weeks before the July 28 deadline. The required number of signatures equals 30% of the votes cast in the May 2023 election for the District 3 seat, which Thomas won in a race with 155 total votes. 

The effort is part of the group’s opposition to the proposed Skybox data center. The coalition also submitted an affidavit in May for the recall of District 2 Councilmember Joe Self. A previous recall attempt against Mayor Tom Thompson fell short of the needed signatures. 

Under Section 48 of the city's Code of Ordinances, the city clerk has 30 days to certify the signatures and submit the petition to the City Council. Thomas would then have 15 days after formal notice to decide whether to resign. If he does not, the council must order a recall election to be held between 30 and 90 days later. 

A majority vote in favor of the recall would remove Thomas from office. His term expires in May 2027. No official may face more than one recall election during a term.