Government ought to be all outside and no inside. . . . Everybody knows that corruption thrives in secret places and avoids public places, and we believe it a fair presumption that secrecy means impropriety. - Woodrow Wilson

The Crisis of Confidence

For months, the citizens of Temple have asked simple questions about the future of our community. In return, we have been met with silence, secrets, and stalled records.

Our City Council has said that they have entered into binding agreements with private corporations that threaten our most vital resource: our water. While we face documented droughts, the Council is prioritizing corporate desires over the survival of our neighborhoods.

The Basis for Recall: 3 Points of Negligence

1. Defying the Attorney General

The Texas Attorney General’s Office has already ruled: The City must release the records. Yet, five months later, the City continues to withhold public information. This isn't just a delay; it is a direct violation of the Texas Public Information Act and a refusal to respect the highest legal authorities in our state.

2. Governance by NDA

Public officials should avoid even the slightest appearance of impropriety. The fact that there was ever any confusion about an NDA with a public official is not a good look.

Non-Disclosure Agreements have no place in the management of public resources. To be clear, if a city official were to sign an NDA preventing him from disclosing terms of an agreement with his constituents, that would be a serious conflict of interest. Public officials represent the public. Any agreement signed is an agreement on behalf of the public. Therefore, no public official should be allowed to sign any agreement requiring him to withhold information from the people he represents. Shockingly, there is no law against this yet, perhaps no one thought it needed to be said.

Datacenters around the US, including Meta, have earned a bad reputation for asking local governments to sign NDAs. Several states are now passing laws to prevent this.

Mayor Tim Davis stated at the Rowan open house that he wasn’t allowed to disclose information due to his NDA. He then retracted his statement at city council, stating he did not have an NDA with Rowan. Where is the confusion? Is there an NDA with another company? Is there a gag order from the State of Texas?

Update: The City Attorney has clarified that the Mayor did not sign an NDA with Meta, but the City did. The nuance here is unclear, and we are still investigating. We do have an eye-witness that claims they were there when he personally signed the paperwork.

In response to an open records request, the City said they can’t find the NDA, after both the Mayor and City Attorney confirmed it exists.

3. Blindly Assuming "Zero Impact."

The Council continues to move forward with massive industrial projects without providing any kind of Environmental Assessment. Claiming "zero impact" while refusing to show the data is gross negligence. We can already prove the risk of irreparable harm to our water table and infrastructure; ignoring these facts is a breach of their fiduciary duty to Temple. OPEN LETTER TO THE CITY - FEB 2026 - SENT VIA EMAIL TO THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL & MAYOR TIM DAVIS

Why We Are Recalling

A recall is not about politics; it is about accountability. When a government:

• Hides records for 150+ days...

• Ignores a direct mandate from the Attorney General…

• Refuses to conduct transparent impact studies...

...they no longer represent the people.

The Legal Reality

"All government information is presumed to be available to the public." — Texas Public Information Act

By withholding these documents, the City is currently in a state of official misconduct. We are taking action to ensure that "City Hall" belongs to the citizens of Temple again.

EXCUSES THAT COULD BE USED:

What if they genuinely don’t know? We have sent the information and have had zero response.

What if they didn’t get the emails? The mayor, city manager, and a city council member have not only emailed us, texted us, shown up to our events, and visited in person, but also served on our non-profit board….. It is highly unlikely the email was unopened.

What about new information you didn’t include? We offered all of the information to them during city council meetings. You can find proof on the City of Temple YouTube account under city council meetings. They have never called, texted, or answered emails.

From Temple Daily Telegram:

City officials responded to the recall plans.

“While I respect everyone’s right to voice their opinion, a recall is a serious step and not something that should be taken lightly,” Walker emailed. “I believe our community is better served through open dialogue, asking questions, doing your homework, and working together to move Temple forward.”

Response:

Yes, this is a serious step and No, we do not take it lightly. We agree that open dialogue is a better approach which is why we have been attempting to engage the Council for months. Our efforts have failed. The City Council has refused to take the citizens seriously and now it has come to this. We have done our homework and we are no longer willing to look past the Council’s missing assignments.

We appreciate your service. You all have worked a thankless job and you have done a great deal for this community. We all make mistakes. We have tried for months now to help you correct some of your bigger mistakes and now it’s time to find someone more qualified. Your services will no longer be required.