PUBLIC SAFETY | LOCAL GOVERNMENT | RESIDENT CONCERNS

League City Could Commit to Remove Flock Cameras Within 72 Hours if Voters Say No

Proposition A is legally nonbinding, but a resolution before City Council Tuesday would spell out exactly what League City plans to do if voters reject continued use of roadway license plate readers.

By Talk of League City | October 12, 2026

LEAGUE CITY, Texas — League City voters may have considerably more practical influence over the future of the Police Department’s Flock cameras than the word “nonbinding” on the November ballot initially suggests.

City Council will consider a resolution Tuesday that would commit League City to removing or disabling its fixed roadway automated license plate reader cameras if a majority of voters says the technology should no longer be used.

Under the proposal, the City’s roadway cameras would have to be removed, covered or bagged within 72 hours after City Council completes the official canvass of the election if Proposition A receives a majority “No” vote.

What Proposition A Asks

The November 3 proposition asks:

“As a nonbinding statement of voter preference, should the League City Police Department continue using automated license plate reader cameras at fixed locations on public roadways for law enforcement purposes?”

A “Yes” vote expresses support for continued use of the cameras.

A “No” vote expresses a preference that the fixed roadway cameras be discontinued.

The wording remains legally important: Proposition A itself is advisory and does not automatically require either outcome.

Tuesday’s proposed resolution is designed to tell voters what City Council intends to do with that advisory result.

Council Says It Intends to Honor the Outcome

The background document for the resolution is unusually direct.

It states that Council “intends to honor the outcome of the election” and wants residents to know before ballots are cast what will happen if a majority votes against continued camera use.

If adopted Tuesday, the resolution would provide City staff with specific instructions for implementing a majority “No” vote.

The 72 Hours Would Begin After the Official Canvass

The cameras would not necessarily go dark on election night.

The proposed 72-hour period begins after Council completes the official canvass of the election.

The canvass is the formal process through which final vote totals are reviewed and accepted.

Once that occurs, the resolution would direct the City’s vendor to begin removing the fixed roadway cameras.

Any remaining cameras would have to be covered by the same deadline to prevent further collection of license plate information.

HOA Cameras in City Rights-of-Way Could Also Be Affected

The proposal also addresses automated license plate readers that are not owned directly by League City.

If equipment belonging to an association or another owner is located within a City right-of-way, those owners would be notified that the cameras must be removed.

The exact deadline would depend on applicable law, permits and existing agreements.

The proposal does not say that every privately owned camera located on private property would automatically have to be removed.

What Would Happen to the Money?

If League City stops using the cameras, City staff would also be directed to determine what funding remains available after outstanding contractual obligations are addressed.

Staff would then recommend other public-safety uses for those funds based on community priorities and citizen input.

The resolution does not identify a specific replacement technology or public-safety program.

The City Would Still Have to Address Existing Contracts

Stopping data collection and ending contractual obligations are not necessarily the same thing.

The resolution directs staff to review League City’s agreements with Flock Safety and pursue any contractual changes needed to implement camera removal.

Staff would report back to Council regarding costs, timing or obstacles encountered during that process.

The City would also continue complying with legal requirements involving records that must be preserved.

Citizen Privacy Committee Also Returns Tuesday

Council has another Flock-related item on Tuesday’s agenda.

Members are scheduled to consider the second reading of an ordinance establishing a Citizen Data Privacy Committee.

The proposed five-member committee would include the Mayor, City Auditor and three citizen members and would review audits, policies, data retention, data sharing, security practices and substantiated misuse involving League City’s automated license plate reader system.

Council unanimously approved the ordinance on first reading September 22.

Tuesday’s meeting therefore addresses both potential futures for the program: additional citizen oversight if the system continues, and a removal process if voters reject it.

Why This Makes Proposition A More Consequential

The proposition remains nonbinding as a matter of law.

But the proposed resolution would provide voters with something that was not guaranteed when the election was originally called: a publicly stated Council commitment to act on a majority “No” result.

That does not convert the referendum into a legally binding election.

It does make the practical consequences of the vote much clearer.

City Council will consider the resolution Tuesday, October 13 at 6 p.m. at Council Chambers, 200 W. Walker Street.

Talk of League City will follow Tuesday night’s vote and update residents on what Council decides.

Sources: League City City Council October 13 agenda; contingent Flock removal resolution; Proposition A election materials.