"There's a line being drawn in the sand," said Word of Life Church Pastor Tom Brown.

Brown has been spearheading a movement to recall Cook and City Council members Susie Byrd and Steve Ortega.

The recall effort is in response to the City Council overturning a vote and restoring health benefits to gay and unmarried city employees.

The petitions for the recall have been filed and the signatures have been verified.

"What we will be asking for now is that the city clerk be forced to give those petitions back to the people who filed them," Cook said.

There's a dispute about whether the signatures were gained legally, and Cook plans to file an appeal.

The big question seems to be, if the election happens, what will it cost taxpayers?

"If the county clerk was able to conduct the election for us with equipment that they already have and staff that they already have it would probably run in the neighborhood of $40,000," Cook said.

Cook said that because of the upcoming primary elections, the county clerk will not be able to hold a recall election. So far, the only bid the city has from a private election company is more than $900,000.

Cook said the recall election would only be half of the cost. A second election would be needed to vote on a new mayor or new City Council members depending on who was voted out.

Cook said the whole thing could cost almost $2 million.

"If we have to come up with $2 million we're going to have to cut places in the budget that we hadn't already cut."

"It doesn't have to cost anything,” Brown said. “All the office holders have to do is resign."