Fate Voters Recall Mayor and Three Council Members

Fate voters removed Mayor Andrew Greenberg and three City Council members from office in Tuesday's recall election, according to unofficial results from Rockwall County.

The Rockwall County election results site showed all five precincts reporting in its last update, posted at 9:50 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. The county had posted no newer count as of Wednesday evening. The results are unofficial until they are canvassed.

The results

Each official was on the ballot as a separate proposition, and voters chose for or against removing each one by recall.

• Proposition A, Council Member Martha Huffman, Place 6: 4,930 for removal (58.78 percent), 3,457 against.

• Proposition B, Mayor Andrew Greenberg: 5,159 for removal (61.24 percent), 3,265 against.

• Proposition C, Council Member Richard Maneval, Place 4: 5,021 for removal (60.08 percent), 3,336 against.

• Proposition D, Council Member Mark Hatley, Place 5: 5,133 for removal (61.31 percent), 3,239 against.

By our math, the margins were 1,473 votes on Proposition A, 1,894 on Proposition B, 1,685 on Proposition C and 1,894 on Proposition D. About 8,400 votes were cast on each proposition.

Voters also filled the Place 1 seat for a term that runs to May 2027. The county results show Stephanie Adams with 3,708 votes, Joshua Martin with 2,079 and Randy Long with 2,029. By our math, Adams drew 47.4 percent of the vote in that race.

The City of Fate Community Center, photographed in November 2015. Photo: Michael Barera / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

How it got here

WFAA reported that the recalls followed months of political disputes and ethics complaints at City Hall. It quoted Council Member Allen Robbins, who supported the recall: "Politically driven decisions, secret recordings, unethical behavior, censures have just got people curious now and interested in what's going on, and they're not liking what they see."

Greenberg defended his administration to the station. "The number one thing we're getting is people coming up to us saying, 'Stop this drama, so that we can actually work on what matters,'" he said. "And my side and our supporters are saying, 'Yes, that's exactly what we're trying to do.'"

The station also reported that before the polls closed, leaders on both sides said they were working to resolve the tension, and that observers had described the past year at City Hall as one of infighting.

What comes next

WFAA reported that the Rockwall County elections administrator said the city may need to call a special election to replace the four officials. We will report on that when the city acts.

Recall rules are a live question elsewhere in Texas, too. Killeen voters this week approved charter changes that tighten theirs; read our Killeen results story for how those changes work.

Our view

A recall is a blunt tool, and Fate voters used it on four people at once. That is a heavy thing for any town. But the process worked as it should: residents gathered enough signatures, the question went on the ballot, and the people decided.

The next step is for whoever serves in Fate to lower the temperature. Even the mayor told WFAA that people were asking for an end to the drama. Leaders who listen, work in the open and treat one another with respect will do more for Fate than any election result. We pray for peace in that city and for wisdom for those who step up to serve it.

Hero photo: Fate Main Place in Fate, photographed in November 2015. Photo: Michael Barera / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.