League City residents will vote on the future of Flock license plate reader cameras Nov. 3, but the result won't bind City Council to do anything.

The council voted Tuesday, Aug. 11, to place Proposition A on the November general election ballot. The measure asks: "Should the League City Police Department continue using automated license plate reader cameras at fixed locations on public roadways for law enforcement purposes?"

The city's ordinance labels the proposition a "nonbinding advisory proposition," meaning the council retains full authority over the Flock camera program regardless of how residents vote.

Mayor Nick Long acknowledged as much at the Aug. 11 meeting. When asked whether the advisory structure takes power away from voters, Long said, "I think that's probably fair," according to ABC13. But he added that if voters clearly express a preference and elected officials ignore it, residents "could respond at the ballot box."

Long said that if voters indicate they want the cameras removed, the city would negotiate with Flock Safety to take down cameras as soon as possible and would be willing to pay contractual costs to do so.

What the cameras do

The League City Police Department currently operates 55 Flock cameras, with 16 more awaiting permitting approval. According to police, the system has assisted in 305 criminal investigations over the past year, including homicides, robberies, assaults, burglaries and thefts, and helped recover approximately $1 million in stolen property.

The city approved a five-year agreement valued at nearly $900,000 for 70 cameras in December 2023, according to Click2Houston.

Divided room, contested vote

A dozen residents spoke during public comment, with opinions split between those defending the cameras as crime-fighting tools and others raising privacy concerns.

Resident Julius Segelquist voiced skepticism about whether the council would honor the result. "It's advisory. It's purely advisory," Segelquist said at the meeting, as reported by KGTX 7 News on Aug. 11. "It's just to see how the citizens feel, and then it's up to council to act on that result or not to — and I'm worried that they may not."

Councilmember Chad Tressler expressed reservations about putting the issue before voters, calling it "risky and throwing the baby out with the bath water," according to the Houston Chronicle. The Chronicle reported Tressler ultimately voted for the measure after asking how many votes it needed to pass.

Councilmember Tom Crews, who has filed to run against Long in the mayoral race, raised questions during the meeting about whether the ballot measure would be binding or advisory.

What's next

League City is the first Texas city to put the Flock camera question directly to voters, according to the Houston Chronicle. The proposition will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot alongside the mayoral contest between Long and Crews. Placing it on the general election ballot rather than calling a special election saved the city approximately $85,000.