Columbia Heights City Council member accused of racist phone call to face recall election

The Columbia Heights City Council has scheduled a special election to recall Council Member KT Jacobs.

Concerned Citizens of Columbia Heights submitted a revised petition with a sufficient number of signatures to the city on July 18, and the council accepted the petition at its Monday meeting. The group's first petition did not include enough verified signatures.

With a valid petition in hand, the council voted 4-1 to proceed with a recall election Feb. 13.

Jacobs has been in the hot seat since last summer, when she allegedly made a racist phone call to a council candidate. The council in the past year has passed two resolutions calling for Jacobs to step down.

With the petition now accepted, "our city's residents have sent a message to Jacobs that's loud and clear: We will not tolerate unethical, dishonest behavior by our elected officials," said Tom Kaiser with Concerned Citizens. "We will not stop this effort until her seat is vacated and Jacobs is replaced by somebody who respects the will of the voters and will treat every citizen with decency."

Jacobs, whose term expires in 2025, has hired an attorney who has threatened to sue the city if it proceeds with the recall.