Galveston, TX Flock Contract

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Who approved this?

Approved on the consent agenda, without discussion, by Galveston City Council on March 27, 2025.

Galveston City Council accepted a Texas Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority grant and approved a three year Flock Safety contract at its March 27, 2025 meeting. The 2025 grant totaled $460,088, and $389,100 of it paid for the first 34 cameras, covering about 80 percent of the camera cost. A 2026 grant of $533,212 funded 2 more, bringing the deployment to 36. The money comes from Senate Bill 224, the 2023 Deputy Darren Almendarez Act, which added $1 a year to Texas auto insurance policies to fight catalytic converter theft. Governor Abbott paused that funding stream for surveillance cameras on August 27, 2026. Police Chief Doug Balli runs the program, and council members Jeff Taylor and Jason Hardcastle were quoted in the Galveston County Daily News report of September 4, 2026. The push for the cameras began earlier, with the Galveston Municipal Police Association lobbying for them in September 2024 while City Attorney Donald Glywasky raised constitutional objections. The sources do not give a roll call for the March 27, 2025 vote.

Recorded vote
Official (as recorded) Office Vote
Craig Brown Mayor Yes
Marie Robb City Council member Yes
Sharon Lewis City Council member Yes
David Finklea City Council member Yes
Bob Brown City Council member Yes
Alex Porretto City Council member Yes
Beau Rawlins City Council member Yes

Renewal date pending

The contract end date has not yet been confirmed from records.

The money

  • Contract amount: $389,100
  • Cameras: 34
  • Contract amount per camera: $11,444 (about $3,815 a year)
  • Term: 36 months
  • Funding source: Other grant

What happens next

    Renewals are decided in public. Residents can attend the meeting, speak during public comment, and write to the office above through official channels. The ACLU publishes a model cancellation resolution officials can adapt.

    Read the renewal action guide

    Sources

    Last verified: September 8, 2026. Something wrong? Request a correction.

    The record

    Galveston City Council approved this Flock contract on March 27, 2025. The tally: 7 yes, 0 no. The named yes votes: Craig Brown, Marie Robb, Sharon Lewis, David Finklea, Bob Brown, Alex Porretto, Beau Rawlins. Approval method: consent agenda. Galveston Police Department operates the program.

    The stated price: $389,100. Term length: 3 years. The agency reports 34 cameras. That comes to about $11,444 per camera. Funding: Texas Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority catalytic converter grant. The 2025 award was $460,088, of which $389,100 paid for the first 34 cameras, about 80 percent of the camera cost. A 2026 award of $533,212 funded 2 more cameras. The money comes from Senate Bill 224, the 2023 Deputy Darren Almendarez Act, which added $1 a year to Texas auto insurance policies..

    The contract is in force.

    3 sources back this record; each is listed with its date under Sources. Last verified September 8, 2026. More from the state: the Texas hub. Everything: the tracker.

    Cite this record

    Who Approved This, "Galveston, TX Flock Contract," whoapprovedthis.org, accessed October 10, 2026, https://whoapprovedthis.org/city/tx-galveston/.

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