Mount Carmel board talks Flock Safety cameras, other budget items

MOUNT CARMEL — The Mount Carmel Board of Mayor and Aldermen discussed the upcoming budget at a work session Thursday evening. Mayor John Gibson had a few suggestions for the fiscal year 2026-27 budget draft, which was first presented at a March 30 meeting. He opposed the town contracting services with the company Flock Safety for cameras that aid law enforcement. The $20,000 line item would rent four or five cameras; there would be a lesser recurring cost. Gibson said he is not a fan of the technology. Town Manager Jim Stables said Flock cameras can be divisive. "There's people out there that feel it's a police state, a surveillance state, but there's probably no better investigative tool to solve crimes and make a real impact," Stables said. Mount Carmel Police Chief David Larson said the cameras are license plate readers, taking photos that do not identify the drivers. The photos are kept in the system for 30 days and then deleted, and are only shared at the police department's discretion. Larson said surrounding counties and cities already use Flock cameras: the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, Kingsport Police Department, Johnson City Police Department and more. JCPD assisted the Mount Carmel Police Department on a case using Flock cameras, he said, helping find and eventually arrest a suspect who had fled. "There's really not a downside," Larson said. "It's a phenomenal investigative tool. Because it's a vehicle, we can't put a person at a specific location — that's when we have to do the investigating to figure out who was driving that vehicle — but it gives us a good lead." The aldermen said Mount Carmel should keep the Flock cameras in the budget. Gibson also suggested redirecting money for speed limit signs that measure a car's speed and flash if it is over the limit. He said enforcing the speed limit would be a better deterrent; Stables and Larson agreed. The board advised town administrators to find an alternative use for the money by the public works department. Assistant Town Manager Tyler Williams said the budget has a $113,000 placeholder payment for the Hawkins County Emergency Communications District's new 911 dispatch fees. This is down $15,000 from the budget's previous draft. The placeholder does not mean the town will pay the fee; Mount Carmel's leadership has opposed this policy and seeks alternative solutions. Stables said he has been talking with the other affected municipalities — Surgoinsville and Church Hill — to present a united front against paying the fee. Stables has said the county should fund the HCECD because it is a countywide service, and to receive fees from the county and municipalities would double dip on town residents. At the March 30 budget meeting, some aldermen questioned whether the town should donate $1,000 to the Hawkins County Imagination Library. The program is part of Dolly Parton's early childhood literacy initiative. Following up on a question about the donation's impact, Gibson told the board that $1,000 would translate to 1,000 books given to kids in the community. The board will consider the FY '26-27 budget on first reading at its regular meeting next Thursday, April 23, at 5 p.m. Senior citizen's center silent auction Sue Jarret, the director of the town's senior citizen's center, said there will be a silent auction fundraiser next week. The center, located on the top floor at 100 Main St. E., will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 20 through 23. Next Friday, April 24, it will be open from 8 a.m. until bidding ends at noon. Proceeds will go to the center's general operating expenses.