RECALL TEMPLE CITY COUNCIL

   I believe that a guarantee of public access to government information is indispensable in the long run for any democratic society.... if officials make public only what they want citizens to know, then publicity becomes a sham and accountability meaningless. -Sissela Bok, Swedish philosopher, 1982

THE REASON:

Our city is currently facing a dual crisis: a persistent drought and a government that refuses to provide transparency regarding a proposed fifth data center. For months, we have requested a comprehensive audit of environmental and utility impacts; for months, those requests have been met with nothing but silence and dismissiveness. They are pushing through these data centers at reckless speeds without taking into account how it will affect our community and environment for years to come.

We do not view our city officials as adversaries; they are our neighbors who have served the City of Temple for years. However, we do believe they are operating under a dangerous misconception that corporate expansion should come at the cost of our basic resources. We are gathering to ensure this error is corrected through peaceful, organized action.

INTEGRITY &TRANSPARENCY:

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 NDAs (not with Rowan, but possibly META or the State - they won’t say) 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

Non-Disclosure Agreements have no place in the management of public resources. By signing "secrecy pacts" with private companies like Meta or Rowan, the Council has effectively "contracted away" your right to know how your tax dollars and water are being used. They are protecting corporate profits while leaving citizens in the dark. 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. Who then does he have an NDA with? It was a common procedure for META to require an NDA. Who is Rowan building these sites for? META. We don’t know the facts here, but that is because there is a huge lack of integrity and transparency when it comes to these billion-dollar corporations.

3. Blindly Assuming "Zero Impact."

The Council continues to move forward with massive industrial projects without providing an Environmental Impact Report. 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 AG...

  • Prioritizes private NDAs over public safety...

  • 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 sat in our home, but also served on our non-profit board….. It is highly unlikely the email was unopened.

What about new information you didn’t include? I offered all of the information to them during the city council meeting. You can find proof on the City of Temple YouTube account under city council meetings. They have never reached out our answered our emails.

From Temple Daily Telegraph:

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:

Interesting words from someone who listened to us for months, begging for due diligence, and is still fine with selling out of our severely low resources without doing just that. This entire Data Center project they put together would be laughable if it weren’t so startlingly dangerous.

Stand with us to discuss how we can take our community's future into our own hands.