Granbury Recall: Five Targets, Three Lawsuits, One Mess

Granbury, TX – Granbury taxpayers are now financing a legal fight against the very recall process designed to give them a voice in their own local government. On November 3, two council members approved $75,000 in taxpayer funding for the city’s defense in a lawsuit brought against the city by the other three elected officials.

If that sounds like something out of a political satire, welcome to Granbury, Texas. Unfortunately, the court filings and city meeting records are very real.

The controversy began with Project Patriot, a proposed hyperscale data center and power generation campus at the former Knox Ranch property. Residents questioned the city’s handling of the proposed development, including transparency, public input and the process surrounding annexation and zoning decisions. The controversy prompted a citizen-led recall effort targeting five members of the city’s leadership.

Those targeted by the recall are Mayor Jim Jarratt, Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Wadley, and Councilmembers Gary “Skip” Overdier, Zeb Ullom and Greg Corrigan.

The recall petitions were submitted in July 2026. On July 28, the city rejected them, citing problems with signature requirements and allegations it considered insufficiently specific. Recall proponents challenged that decision, and on August 24 the city informed the Second Court of Appeals that it would present the petitions to the council. The city secretary certified all five petitions on September 8.

The September 28 council meeting provided each targeted official an opportunity to respond to the allegations under Article 4.08 of the city charter. Six members of the public spoke. The officials defended their records, disputed the accusations and declined to resign. Mayor Pro Tem Wadley was absent.

Under the charter, the next step was supposed to be an administrative function, by the council, to set the recall election at the earliest date permitted by state law. The city identified May 2027 as the earliest available election date because the deadline for ordering a November 2026 election had already passed.

Then came October 6.

Three officials sue their own city

Houston attorney Andy Taylor appeared at the council meeting and announced a lawsuit against the City of Granbury in the 355th Judicial District Court, Cause No. C2026539. At the time he did not mention that his clients were Jarratt, Wadley and Overdier. The city attorney did his best to feign surprise … and the three officials failed to mention that Taylor was THEIR attorney. They voted, to table their vote on the recall, due to a lawsuit that they initiated.

It took but a few hours for Pipkins Reports to figure out who was behind the lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks to invalidate the recall petitions and prevent the city from ordering an election. It alleges fraud, forgery and other non-accidental defects in the signature-gathering process. The plaintiffs also challenge the legal sufficiency of the petitions.

Those are allegations, not established findings. The officials claim approximately 1,370 valid signatures were required for each petition. Organizers claim they obtained between 1,446 to 1,470 signatures for the various petitions.

Recall volunteer Kellie Chewning disputed that calculation, arguing that the proper threshold is 1,292 after excluding voters listed in suspense status. She also asked the court to compel the city to proceed with the recall elections.

The City of Granbury filed its answer October 26. It denied the material allegations, asserted governmental and sovereign immunity, and asked the court to dismiss the officials’ lawsuit with prejudice.

In other words, the city is defending itself against a lawsuit filed by its own mayor, mayor pro tem and a council member.

And taxpayers are footing part of the bill.

Two council members approve $75,000

At the November 3 council meeting, members approved a $250,000 budget amendment for anticipated legal expenses involving multiple lawsuits.

The money was divided into two separate votes. The first allocated $175,000 for litigation not involving the three council officials who sued the city. That measure passed 5-0, with Greg Corrigan absent.

The second allocated $75,000 specifically for the recall litigation involving Jarratt, Wadley and Overdier.

That vote passed 2-0, with Councilman Zeb Ullom and Councilwoman Angela Parker voting in favor. The three plaintiffs did not participate in that vote.

Yes, one of the two officials approving the money, Ullom, is himself the subject of a recall petition. The allocation is for the city’s legal defense, not the private attorneys representing the three plaintiffs. And the appropriation is for anticipated expenses, not proof that the entire amount has already been spent.

Still, the arrangement deserves public scrutiny. Taxpayers are funding the city’s defense in a lawsuit brought by elected officials seeking to prevent a voter referendum on their continued service.

An election defeat changes the landscape

November 3 also delivered a political setback for Overdier. Janet Logsdon, a recall organizer, defeated him for Place 4 by 3,005 votes to 1,528, or 66% to 34%, according to the city’s unofficial results. The results are scheduled for official confirmation November 17.

Alex Wolf won Place 6 unopposed after Corrigan chose not to seek another term. Meanwhile, Ullom announced plans to resign from Place 5. The city charter requires a special election to fill that vacancy, and no date has been announced.

On November 6, Logsdon and Daniel Piatt filed a plea in intervention and request for declaratory judgment in the recall lawsuit. A December 2 hearing is listed on the court docket concerning their filing.

The fight isn’t over

As of November 11, no final court ruling has invalidated the petitions or ordered the recall elections. Ballotpedia continues to list the effort as underway.

For Granbury residents, this is about more than five politicians and a contentious development proposal. It is about whether the procedures established to hold elected officials accountable will function when those officials would rather not face the voters.

A recall is not a conviction, and elected officials are entitled to challenge allegations and defend themselves in court. But citizens are equally entitled to exercise the accountability provisions written into their city charter.

Granbury residents have spent months trying to get answers. Now they are paying to watch their government fight over whether they get to cast a ballot.

That’s one expensive way to avoid asking the voters what they think.

Three Lawsuits

Based on the November 3 budget discussion and the related litigation, there are three major lawsuits involving the City of Granbury that appear relevant to the $250,000 legal-expense allocation.

They concern three different disputes: the recall, the Knox Ranch/Project Patriot development, and political speech during the November election.

Here is the breakdown.

1. The recall lawsuit

Jarratt, Wadley and Overdier v. City of Granbury

• Filed: October 6, 2026.
• Court: 355th Judicial District Court, Hood County.
• Cause No.: C2026539.
• Plaintiffs: Mayor Jim Jarratt, Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Wadley and Councilman Gary “Skip” Overdier.
• Issue: The officials allege the recall petitions contain fraudulent signatures, forgery and other defects.
• Objective: Prevent the city from ordering recall elections.

This is the lawsuit for which the council approved the separate $75,000 allocation.

2. The Project Patriot / Open Meetings Act lawsuit

Piatt and others v. City of Granbury and city officials

• Filed: April 6, 2026.
• Court: Hood County District Court.
• Cause No.: C2026159.
• Plaintiffs: Daniel Piatt, Janet Logsdon, James Logsdon and Craig Jackson.
• Issue: Alleged violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act and questions surrounding the annexation of the Knox Ranch property and the city’s handling of Project Patriot.
• Objective: Challenge the legality of city actions associated with the development and seek judicial relief.

The plaintiffs allege city officials used staggered attendance at a January project tour to avoid triggering public meeting requirements. They also challenge transparency and public notice surrounding the annexation. These allegations have not been established as judicial findings.

3. The political-sign / First Amendment lawsuit

Krottinger v. City of Granbury

• Filed: October 28, 2026.
• Court: U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas.
• Case No.: 4:26-cv-01369-O.
• Plaintiff: Kolton Glen Krottinger.
• Issue: Alleged viewpoint discrimination involving political signs critical of Skip Overdier and the city’s handling of the data center controversy.
• Objective: Obtain protection against further removal of the signs and enforcement actions.

On October 29, Judge Reed O’Connor issued a temporary restraining order protecting the specified signs and banner on private property. This was a temporary ruling, not a final judgment.

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Questions & Answers

1. Who is targeted by the 2026 Granbury recall effort?

The five officials are Mayor Jim Jarratt, Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Wadley, and Councilmembers Gary “Skip” Overdier, Zeb Ullom and Greg Corrigan.

2. Why did three Granbury officials sue the city on October 6, 2026?

Jarratt, Wadley and Overdier filed Cause No. C2026539 seeking to invalidate the recall petitions and prevent a recall election. Their lawsuit alleges signature fraud, forgery and other defects. The allegations have not been established by a court.

3. Who approved the $75,000 for the city’s recall lawsuit defense?

Councilmembers Zeb Ullom and Angela Parker approved the $75,000 budget allocation in a 2-0 vote on November 3, 2026. Jarratt, Wadley and Overdier did not participate because they are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

4. What happened to Skip Overdier in the November 3 election?

Janet Logsdon defeated Gary “Skip” Overdier for City Council Place 4, receiving 3,005 votes to his 1,528. Logsdon was also involved in the recall organizing effort. The city scheduled official confirmation of the election results for November 17.

5. What are the sources for the Granbury recall investigation, and when is the next court hearing?

Sources include City of Granbury meeting records and election announcements, the pleadings in Hood County District Court Cause No. C2026539, reporting by Hood County Express, KERA News and FOX 4, and the Granbury Grassroots website.