Two closely watched issues will not go before Conroe voters this November following an Aug. 13 City Council meeting.
Council members voted to send a proposed firefighter collective bargaining election to a committee after city officials said key election deadlines had already passed. In a separate 2-3 vote, council rejected placing a binding referendum on the city’s use of automated license plate reader systems, including Flock Safety cameras, on the Nov. 3 ballot.
What happened?
Council members David Hairel and Shana Arthur voted to place the ALPR question on the ballot, while Mayor Pro Tem John Sellars and council members Ken Blevins and Kristin Hoisington voted against the proposal. The measure needed three affirmative votes to move forward.
Hairel, who made the motion, said the vote was less about whether council members supported the cameras and more about who should make the final decision.
“Tonight’s question isn’t cameras or no cameras,” Hairel said. “It’s whether three council members trust the people of Conroe to decide for themselves.”
Sellars pushed back on placing the issue directly before voters without a formal petition. He said he supports residents’ right to vote but was not comfortable with the city spending what he estimated could be about $250,000 on an election without validated signatures showing broader support.
“My first responsibility is, and it will always be, public safety,” Sellars said, adding that he supports tools police leadership say provide a public benefit.
The discussion came after council unanimously tabled two Flock-related proposals July 23, including a proposed citizen advisory committee and a request for legal research into a possible public vote. Those earlier actions did not change or terminate the city’s Flock agreement.
Several residents again urged council to put the issue before voters Aug. 13. Conroe resident Chris Dooley told council he was “pro law enforcement” and would rather see additional officers than surveillance cameras.
“I implore the council to vote yes on this agenda measure and place the power and trust with the people,” Dooley said.
Savannah Schroeder similarly said she was not asking the council to decide for or against the cameras.
“The only common sense solution, it seems at this point, is a vote,” Schroeder said. “We really just want to bring a voice back to the people.”
A closer look
Council also stopped short of ordering a November election on whether Conroe firefighters should have collective bargaining rights under Chapter 174 of the Texas Local Government Code.
Instead, Hoisington moved to refer the issue to a committee proposed to include two council members, two firefighters and City Administrator David Willard. Council ultimately approved the committee motion, but Conroe Professional Fire Fighters Association President Lloyd Sandefer said the association was not interested in participating.
Willard told council the city had already missed deadlines needed to place the measure on the November ballot.
“We have missed some critical deadlines,” Willard said, adding that the city wants to work with the firefighters association and “try to get this forward at the next possible election” where the necessary deadlines can be met.
The Conroe Professional Fire Fighters Association has been in a legal dispute with the city over the issue since December 2025. As previously reported by Community Impact, the association sued after the city declined to process a petition containing about 3,650 signatures. The association argues state law required 2,022 signatures based on its interpretation of voter turnout requirements.
During public comment, Sandefer urged council to end the dispute by sending the issue to voters.
“We have an opportunity ... to right a wrong here and get this thing going and end this and let the voters decide,” Sandefer said.
During council discussion, he said the group would decline to participate in the proposed committee and instead continue pursuing the issue through the courts.
What’s next?
The Aug. 13 actions mean neither the Flock referendum nor the firefighter collective bargaining question will appear on Conroe’s Nov. 3 ballot as previously proposed. The Flock vote leaves the city’s current ALPR program unchanged, while the firefighter collective bargaining issue could return for consideration at a later election as the lawsuit remains pending.
