Texas City mayor won't resign after recall petition submitted

TEXAS CITY, Texas (KTRK) -- Texas City Mayor Dedrick Johnson vowed not to resign in an interview with ABC13, an hour after critics delivered a recall petition to city hall.

Wayne Dolcefino, whose consulting firm Dolcefino Media submitted the petition, said it contains around 1,600 signatures.

According to the city charter, that would be hundreds more signatures than necessary to trigger a recall election.

"Lots of other people wanted to sign, but were afraid of retaliation," Dolcefino said. "That speaks volumes."

Dolcefino then called on Johnson, who ran unopposed in last year's election, to resign. But Johnson said he's standing firm.

"Mayor Dedrick Johnson will not resign," Johnson said. "Mayor Dedrick Johnson was elected by the citizens of this city."

Some of those citizens are now accusing the mayor of driving them away.

Texas City Municipal Police Association President Rachael Spahr said 36 officers have left Texas City over the last two years and that Johnson's leadership has played a role.

"It's a very intimidating type of, I guess, work environment that he puts people in," Spahr said.

Spahr said she's tried addressing her concerns with the mayor, but that they've fallen on deaf ears.

"We've tried to work with the mayor time and time again," she said.

In response, Johnson produced emails from October 2024, which show the police union declining to meet with him.

The mayor also denies claims of intimidation.

"When people say that there's a spirit of fear in city hall, that's 100 percent false," Johnson said.

According to the city charter, a successful recall petition requires the signatures of 50% of the number of registered voters who cast ballots in the most recent election.

Because only 2,020 people voted in the May 2024 election (about six percent of registered voters), only 1,010 signatures are needed to trigger a recall.

The city has 10 days to certify the petition. Once certified, Johnson would then have five days to resign.

Should Johnson not resign, the Texas City Commission would have to schedule an election within 45 to 60 days.

"I think the results will be the same thing as the last three elections in Texas City," said Johnson. "The citizens will come out and show that they want Dedrick Johnson to be their mayor because of the many great things that he's done, not only over his lifetime in Texas City, but as mayor."

A petition to recall former Dickinson Mayor Sean Skipworth failed last year after city council ruled it didn't meet all of the legal requirements.

Skipworth ultimately chose not to stand for re-election.

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