# Hays County Approves Axon AI Contract

Hays County Commissioners Court has approved the inclusion of a **$4.5 million** budget for a 10-year contract with Axon to implement their AI Era law enforcement technology plan. This contract, pending final vote, will integrate AI tools such as automated report generation (Draft 1) and Smart Capture for data collection, while ensuring the county retains oversight and ownership of data. Discussions on the AI software specifics are ongoing, reflecting local concerns about contract length and data privacy.

- The contract represents a significant long-term investment in AI-driven law enforcement technology by a local government entity.
- Procurement professionals should note the emphasis on data ownership and oversight, which may influence contract terms and vendor negotiations.
- Vendors offering AI and law enforcement technology solutions can consider similar multi-year contracts with provisions for data governance.
- The debate over contract duration and technology scope highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement and transparency in public sector AI procurements.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** September 20, 2026

### Government Entities
- Hays County Commissioners Court
- Hays County Sheriff's Department (HCSO)
- Hays County Health Department

### Vendors
- Axon (prime contractor)

### Key Quotes
> There is no world where I will support a 10-year contract for anything. Not for tax collection, or health department vaccine permits, not for AI, especially at the rate its growing. Anything for 10 years is too long.
> — Ruben Becerra, Hays County Judge

> As far as a camera that can conduct license plate reading technology, yes that is something that Axon has technology for, but quite honestly we don’t want anything to do with that data, and we don’t want to deal with it if Axon gets subpoenaed.
> — Matt Applebaum, Axon Representative

### Sources
- [Hays County proclaims September as Suicide Awareness Month, approves $4.5 million Axon AI Era budget inclusion – The University Star](https://universitystar.com/36321/news/hays-county-proclaims-september-as-suicide-awareness-month-approves-4-5-million-axon-ai-era-budget-inclusion) - The University Star