Troy City Council and city auditor sue mayor over Flock camera emergency declaration

Event: April 1, 2026 · First reported: May 12, 2026 · 1 source

Troy, New York's Democratic-majority City Council and the city auditor filed suit against Republican Mayor Carmella Mantello over her April 1 declaration of a public safety emergency tied to the city's Flock Safety license plate reader cameras. The petition, filed Monday, alleges Mantello exceeded her emergency powers and improperly authorized a $78,000 payment to Flock Safety without approval from the council or the auditor. The suit asks a court to declare the emergency order unlawful, void it, and invalidate the Flock contract renewal. Mantello issued a statement responding to the litigation; the group Troy Residents Against Flock Cameras said it supports the lawsuit.

Why this matters

The case tests whether a mayor can use emergency powers to keep an ALPR contract in place over the objections of a city council and auditor, and could set a precedent for how surveillance procurement disputes between branches of local government are resolved.

Key facts

Lawsuit filed Monday by the Troy City Council and the city auditor against Mayor Carmella Mantello.
Challenges a public safety emergency declaration issued April 1 concerning Flock cameras.
Alleges a $78,000 payment to Flock Safety was authorized without council or auditor approval.
Relief sought includes nullifying the emergency order and invalidating the Flock contract renewal.
The allegations are unproven; no court ruling has been reported.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

Lawsuit filed against Mayor of Troy over Flock Camera Emergency Declaration (cbs6albany.com, May 12, 2026)

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About this record

BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated August 10, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.