The City of Pilot Point is suing a resident after she launched a recall petition to remove a city council member.
Pilot Point resident Kelley Burgess submitted a recall petition against Councilmember Elizabeth Jones—who represents Position 4—accusing her of abusing her position on the council.
According to the petition, obtained by The Dallas Express, Jones committed “two acts of misconduct by accepting payment from the city for the use of her venue, Lizzy Gator’s Venue.”
“Elizabeth Jones committed two acts of misconduct by accepting payment from the city for the use of her venue, Lizzy Gator’s Venue (aka Lizzy Gator’s, LLC) conducting business at 12222 Massey Rd, Pilot Point, TX 76258 (see attached invoices). This abuse of her office is a gross act of misconduct and a violation of her fiduciary duties to the taxpayers of our city. She has lost the confidence and the trust of the citizens of Pilot Point because of her clear conflict of interest and abuse of position as a member of our city council.”
The other reason was Jones’ “general misconduct and behavior unbecoming of a City Council member.”
Two months after Burgess submitted the petition, the City of Pilot Point filed a lawsuit against her. The city argues that the petition did not prompt an obligation to order a recall election.
“The CITY OF PILOT POINT, TEXAS (“Plaintiff” or the “City”), a home-rule municipal corporation of the State of Texas, petitions the Court pursuant to its City Charter for a declaration pursuant to Chapter 37 of the Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code that (i) the petition for the recall of Councilwoman Elizabeth Jones was deficient and does not satisfy the requirements of the Pilot Point City Charter; and (ii) the petition for the recall of Councilwoman Elizabeth Jones did not trigger an obligation of the Pilot Point City Council to order an election for the recall of Councilwoman Elizabeth Jones,” the lawsuit stated per The Dallas Express.
Burgess disagreed, saying she received the required signatures to launch a recall election. The petition needed 96 signatures or 25 percent of the votes which Jones received in her election. However, Burgess claims she obtained 104 verified signatures.
“I got the required signatures. The city secretary verified the signatures. It was accepted by the city council,” Burgess told The Dallas Express.
Burgess asserts that the city is retaliating against her and has spent thousands of dollars to fight off the city’s lawsuit. However, Burgess has said that Pilot Point Mayor Elisa Beasley is behind her 100 percent.
Beasley told The Dallas Express that she is concerned the city council would take legal action against a resident who is simply exercising her freedom of speech.
“As a community, we are in a very heartbreaking place. Where I understand that this council is trying to seek more information, I believe that there are other ways to obtain their final goal. It is unfortunate that this is the route this council has decided to take. For me, I believe in the power of the people and stand against infringing on any Americans’ First Amendment right. Never would I have imagined this community would be involved in bringing legal action against any citizen. These are sad days for Pilot Point,” said Beasley.
Jones did not respond to Texas Scorecard’s request for comment.
