The Troy City Council on Thursday unanimously voted to override a mayoral veto preventing hearings on local law number 4.
This will allow for hearings on a law to align the city’s charter with the state’s in defining what is considered a public emergency.
The council pushed for those hearings after Mayor Carmella Mantello declared an emergency back in April, circumveting the council’s decision to halt payments for Flock, the company that provides license plate readers to the city. City Council President Sue Steele said at the time that Mantello’s actions amounted to an illegal renewal of the city’s contract with Flock and the spending of taxpayer money without council authorization. Mantello argued the council failed to act before the contract was scheduled to be renewed. She added that Flock could remove the cameras if they are not paid, which threatens public safety.
At the time, Mantello, a Republican, called the Democratic-controlled council’s decision political in nature.
During Thursday night’s meeting, City Council President Sue Steele accused the mayor of trying to silence the public.
The council has argued the cameras collect data without the public’s knowledge and pose risks to privacy, civil liberties and the freedom of movement. The Republican mayor has said the system is an important element in promoting public safety and the city took steps to address privacy concerns.