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Residents press commission over proposed Flock license‑plate cameras as budget vote approaches
Summary
Public commenters at the June 16 meeting urged and opposed county funding for Flock license‑plate cameras included in the budget. One resident backed the system for recovering stolen property while another read a civil‑rights quote and alleged the sheriff misrepresented the contract’s capabilities.
Two public commenters used their allotted time at the Bib County Board of Commissioners meeting on June 16 to address proposed funding for Flock license‑plate cameras that staff and the sheriff have previously discussed as part of public‑safety investments in the budget.
An unnamed resident spoke in favor of Flock cameras, describing the technology as effective and saying the cameras have helped recover stolen property in Georgia. The speaker urged commissioners to approve the budget item that would fund the system, citing local security benefits and the sheriff’s support for the cameras.
Riann Wymer, who identified herself as a long‑time Bib County resident, opposed the Flock cameras and questioned the sheriff’s statements about the system. Reading a line from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity"—Wymer said the sheriff's name is the sole signature on the county’s contract with Flock and alleged the sheriff either did not read the contract or lied to the commission about the system’s capabilities. She also said the sheriff had told the commission the Governor’s Office of Public Safety had provided funds for Flock, arguing that if that were true, county taxpayer dollars would not be required.
The meeting record shows these concerns were presented during the public‑comment portion of the agenda; there was no on‑the‑record response from the sheriff during the meeting. The mayor noted that public comment on the cameras was being taken because the item is part of the budget packet presented that evening; the budget later passed in the meeting by recorded motion.
What remains: The transcript records public accusations about the county’s contract and funding sources but does not include an on‑the‑record rebuttal from the sheriff during the June 16 meeting. Questions raised in public comment about the contract language and funding sources may require follow‑up with the sheriff’s office and the county attorney for formal clarification and documentation.
