Auburn councilors declined to put funding for Flock Safety license plate-reading cameras in the city’s proposed budget, which will be voted on at first reading Monday night.

As a result, if the budget is approved, the cameras will be removed, at least for the time being.

Earlier this year, city officials faced public backlash over Flock cameras being installed last summer without public notification or input.

Shortly after, Auburn Police Chief Jason Moen defended the department’s use of the cameras, touting the cameras helped solve several crimes late last year.

Flock license plate-reading cameras use AI to identify vehicles that have been flagged by law enforcement agencies as possibly being related to a crime, saving officers from spending hours going through license plate photos.

But privacy advocates say the cameras are being used above and beyond license plate reading for local departments. They have claimed the cameras have been used to assist federal immigration agents, among other concerns.

The cameras were installed last summer and funded through a Department of Homeland Security grant. Councilors did not approve the cameras or grant funding because it did not come from property taxes.

A new city rule requires departments to seek approval from the City Council for grants on projects or initiatives that could result in that cost being shifted onto property taxpayers in the future.

The police department requested $24,000 in the city budget this year to continue using the cameras.

Councilors initially agreed to add it into the first proposed budget for further consideration in later workshops. Through the course of those workshops councilors ultimately decided to exclude the funding in order to keep the budget mostly flat.

The city’s overall proposed budget, including the school and Androscoggin County budgets, is $137.9 million. Of that, $63.8 million will come from property taxation. The proposed tax increase is $5.6 million more than this year’s $58.2 million, a 9.7% increase.

The cameras will be taken down in July when the contract runs out, Moen said. But he said he is still interested in possibly using them in the future should the department secure funding outside property taxes or if they were to be added into a future city budget, given how effective they are in investigations.

Ward 5 Councilor Leroy Walker Sr. seemed to support the department’s use of the cameras in previous council meetings, thinking they were a good investment in public safety.

But Ward 1 Councilor Rachel Randall had concerns about privacy issues and passing another cost to taxpayers.

“I understand why Flock cameras can be appealing as a tool for law enforcement, and I respect the intent behind using technologies to support public safety,” she said in an email Friday. “However, after listening to residents and reviewing broader concerns, I do not support their continued use at this time.”

She said her decision is not about “being for or against law enforcement.” It is a concern about how the data obtained by the cameras could be used in the future.

If the police department wants to use the cameras again, that should be brought in front of the council, whether it is grant funded or not, she said, because use of that type of surveillance technology is a policy decision.

“Moving forward, I believe any continuation, regardless of how it is funded, should involve clear communication with the council and the public before implementation, not after,” Randall said.