Wausau Pilot & Review reported that Police Chief Matthew Barnes asked the Finance Committee to keep $50,000 for the city's 20 Flock Safety license plate cameras in the 2027 budget. Three committee members voiced objections or unease during the second night of budget review.
The money would cover the final payment on a five-year, $250,000 agreement the City Council approved in October 2023. That payment is due in December 2027 and buys the contract's last year of service. The committee takes up budget amendments Thursday, and the council adopts its budget in November.
Can Wausau stop paying for the cameras?
The answer depends on which part of the contract you read. Section 11.16, titled Non-Appropriation, sits on page 27 of the 31-page agreement. It lets the city end the contract on 30 days' written notice "without penalty or other cost" when funds are not appropriated.
Barnes told the committee he reads that language as covering the city's ability to pay, not a choice to stop paying. He said a council vote to defund the cameras could leave the city paying anyway. Alder Tom Neal asked that the cameras come off the budget and suggested Wausau could end the contract on 30 days' notice, as other agencies have. Barnes said the contract has no exit for convenience. "The answer to that is no," he said.
The department's August written answers, from Capt. Benjamin Graham, said the city owes the full term unless Flock commits a material breach, and would owe $50,000 for each remaining year. Those answers pointed to a breach clause on page 20 and did not mention Section 11.16.
Mayor Doug Diny deferred to the police chief and the city attorney when asked whether the city considers Section 11.16 available. Committee Chair Michael Martens warned that cutting the money could invite costly litigation. City Attorney Anne Jacobson presented her department's budget later that meeting, and no one asked her about the clause.
What changes for drivers?
Barnes said the 20 cameras sit at entrances and exits to the city and on bridges, not in neighborhoods. The department now requires officers to document a reason for each search. An administrator made that setting mandatory on July 17. The department said about 90% of 662 searches in its most recent 30-day period were tied to a case or event number.
Data handling is governed by the contract. Plate images are deleted after 30 days, and Barnes said the city's images and data cannot be sold. Wausau turned off nationwide sharing in May and limits access to Wisconsin agencies, though an administrator can change that setting.
What does not change: the contract runs to Dec. 15, 2028, and renews automatically for 24 months unless either side gives notice at least 30 days earlier. To see where plate readers are in your area, check the camera map. For how these systems work, read how plate readers work.
When does the council revisit it?
Barnes said the right time for a full debate is the same time of year in 2028, when the council will have six years of information. Wausau Pilot & Review notes that leaves roughly a month to act before the renewal date. Flock may change the price for a renewal with 60 days' notice.
The American Civil Liberties Union says Flock has rewritten its standard terms for new customers, including new limits on termination for non-appropriation. A new contract would be signed on whatever terms the company offers at that time.
What happens next?
Police are scheduled to present on Flock to the Public Health and Safety Committee on Oct. 19.