San Angelo Council Votes 6-1 to Call Recall Election for Thomas

SAN ANGELO, TX — The San Angelo City Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday to order a special election for Nov. 3 on whether to recall Single Member District 3 Council Member Harold “Harry” Thomas after the city clerk certified a recall petition against him as sufficient.

Council Member Patrick Keely made the motion and Council Member Tommy Hiebert seconded it. With no public comment on the resolution, the measure passed 6-1. Mayor Tom Thompson was the sole opposing vote. 

The resolution calls for the election to be administered by the Tom Green County Elections Office and authorizes the city manager to negotiate and execute related documents.

City Clerk Heather Stastny told the council the petition’s affidavit was filed May 29 and the signed petitions were returned on time July 15. Her office validated 53 signatures, exceeding the 47 required under Section 48 of the City Charter. The certification itself was a non-voting item.

Thomas remains in office until the results of the Nov. 3 election are determined. Registered voters in District 3 will be asked whether he should be recalled. A majority vote in favor of recall would remove him; a majority against would leave him in office for the remainder of his term.

Early voting is scheduled for Oct. 19 through Oct. 30, with locations set by the county elections administrator and subject to change.

During public comment on the petition certification, a resident said she has served on numerous city boards and committees for more than 25 years and has watched Thomas work tirelessly for more than seven years. She said recall petitions can cause division, described the effort as a citizen’s right under the charter, and urged people who sign petitions to read them thoroughly and study the facts first.

Mayor Thompson spoke after, saying he had never seen council actions that were not aimed at the betterment of the city, and raised concerns about how signatures were solicited, including statements he considered untrue and solicitation on city property. He asked for a legal opinion on the process for soliciting petitions on city property. The city attorney indicated the timing was not appropriate for a formal opinion. Thompson said that the matter could be placed on a future agenda.

Thomas has previously stated he will not resign and intends to continue serving until the end of his term in May 2027.