Open Records Request
Under the Georgia Open Records Act, all public records are available for inspection and copying unless they are specifically exempted from disclosure under the law. If a government agency or custodian of public records withholds a public document from production under an Open Records Request, they must cite to the specific statutory provision of Georgia law that exempts the record from being produced.
The Haralson County Board of Commissioners has designated the Clerk for the Board of Commissioners as the Open Records Officer.
To inspect and/or receive records, please submit your request to the County Clerk at alison.palmer@haralsoncountyga.gov . A request to inspect or copy records may be made orally or in writing. For purposes of documenting and clarifying the scope and timing of the request, it is a better practice to make the request in writing, and actions to enforce the ORA can only be based on written requests.
After receiving your request, you will be notified within three business days if there are records responsive to your request and if the records requested are subject to be release. Some records are not readily accessible. In these instances, a timeline will be provided as to when the records will be available. You will be notified of the cost to search, retrieve, copy, redact and/or supervise inspection of the requested document(s). The costs represent the hourly rate of the lowest paid full-time employee who has the necessary skills and training to respond to your request. There is no charge for the first 15 minutes.
Sample Letter for Requesting Records - Copy and Paste
[Your Name]
[Street Address]
[City, ST ZIP Code]
[Date]
Alison Palmer, County Clerk
Haralson County Board of Commissioners
155 Van Wert Street
Buchanan, GA
Dear County Clerk Palmer:
Under the Georgia Open Records Act § 50.18.70 et seq., I am requesting an opportunity to inspect or obtain copies of public records that [Describe the records or information sought with enough detail for the public agency to respond. Be as specific as your knowledge of the available records will allow. But it is more important to describe the information you are seeking.]
If there are any fees for searching or copying these records, please inform me if the cost will exceed $______. However, I would also like to request a waiver of all fees in that the disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest and will contribute significantly to the public’s understanding of ___________ [Here, you can identify yourself as a representative of the news media if applicable and state that your request is related to news gathering purposes.] This information is not being sought for commercial purposes.
The Georgia Open Records Act requires a response time within three business days. If access to the records I am requesting will take longer than three days, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records.
If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.
Thank you for considering my request.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Phone number]