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Who approved this?
Approved 6-4 by Huntington City Council on July 14, 2026.
A Huntington resident filed a lawsuit over the Flock contract after the 6-4 vote, per the Herald-Dispatch. WV MetroNews put the full contract value at $2.1 million, and Cabell County officials voiced concerns about the deal after passage. The council approved the Flock package 6 to 4 early on July 14, 2026, after a meeting that ran past 4 am with more than 50 residents speaking against it. The resolution figures: 394,785 dollars the first year, 438,220 dollars in each later year of the 5-year device contract, plus 77,560 dollars over 2 years for professional services; the package bundles plate readers with audio detection, live video, and drone services. Mayor Patrick Farrell backed the purchase; Councilwoman Tia Rumbaugh voted no, citing contract terms that give the company irrevocable control of customer data. Records obtained by the ACLU of West Virginia showed the company and the police department had worked for months on the deployment before council saw it, and the ACLU sued over the agreement on July 16.
| Official (as recorded) | Office | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Arthur | Council member | Yes |
| Todd Sweeney | Council member | Yes |
| Mike Shockley | Council member | Yes |
| Linda Blough | Council member | Yes |
| Mary Beth Anderson | Council member | Yes |
| Rob Archer | Council member | Yes |
| Tia Rumbaugh | Council member | No |
| Sarah Walling | Council member | No |
| Teresa Johnson | Council member | No |
| Holly Smith Mount | Council member | No |
Renewal date pending
The contract end date has not yet been confirmed from records.
The money
- Contract amount: $2,147,665
- Term: 60 months
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.
Sources
- WSAZ: Huntington City Council to consider new Flock security technology (July 13, 2026) wsaz.com
- West Virginia Watch: 6-4 vote; audio detection, live video, drones and license plate recognition (July 14, 2026) westvirginiawatch.com
- Herald-Dispatch: resident files lawsuit over the Flock Safety contract herald-dispatch.com
- WV MetroNews: Huntington’s $2.1 million contract with Flock Safety draws mixed reaction (July 19, 2026) wvmetronews.com
- West Virginia Watch: ACLU files lawsuit over Huntington Flock agreement (July 16, 2026) westvirginiawatch.com
- Charleston Gazette-Mail report naming each Huntington council member vote on the 6 to 4 approval of the Flock Safety contract (July 14, 2026) wvgazettemail.com
Last verified: September 8, 2026. Something wrong? Request a correction.
The record
The approval came from Huntington City Council on July 14, 2026. It passed 6-4. The named yes votes: Jason Arthur, Todd Sweeney, Mike Shockley, Linda Blough, Mary Beth Anderson, Rob Archer. Voting no: Tia Rumbaugh, Sarah Walling, Teresa Johnson, Holly Smith Mount. Approval method: council vote. Huntington Police Department operates the program.
The contract amount is $2,147,665. Term length: 5 years.
The contract is in force.
6 sources back this record; each is listed with its date under Sources. Last verified September 8, 2026. See the rest of West Virginia on the West Virginia hub, or browse the whole tracker.
Cite this record
Who Approved This, "Huntington, WV Flock Contract," whoapprovedthis.org, accessed October 10, 2026, https://whoapprovedthis.org/city/wv-huntington/.
Related
Read on
- Marshall County, WV Active
- Marion County, WV Active
- Putnam County, WV Suspended
- Camera locations near Huntington: DeFlock (external, crowdsourced)
- Agency transparency portal, if published: transparency.flocksafety.com; aggregated at Eyes on Flock