Residents press Hyattsville council to adopt ranked‑choice voting, remove Flock cameras and expand audits

A string of public commenters at the Sept. 22 Hyattsville City Council meeting urged the city to put ranked‑choice voting (RCV) on the May 2027 ballot and to end the city's relationship with Flock, a private camera company.

"I am again asking that you work toward implementation of ranked choice voting for our municipal elections effective with the elections that will be held in May 2027," resident David Hiles told the council, asking that staff produce an implementation plan by Nov. 2, 2026. Other commenters, including Octavia Clapp and Dan Broder, said RCV would modernize elections and recommended a nonbinding referendum if council prefers broader voter input.

Several speakers also renewed calls to cancel the city's contract with Flock, linking the program to privacy risks. "This is a company that literally spied on children inside a private facility," Dan Broder said, urging the council to end the contract and pursue alternatives.

Residents also asked for more financial oversight. Public commenters asked for additional audits and transparency after recent audit restatements and delays in completing city financial reviews. Octavia Ferguson, who said she had helped gather signatures supporting RCV, added: "Forensic auditing and performance auditing" could help rebuild trust, she said.

Why it matters: These public remarks put pressure on councilors to prioritize election reform, data‑privacy reviews and more detailed scrutiny of the city's finances as staff prepare budget and audit work this fall. The council heard the comments during the public‑comment period and did not take immediate policy votes on RCV or Flock.