Advocate of Lower Property Taxes

in Hall County

Welcome to the website of Hall County citizens for  efficient government.  Please read through our site.  In an effort to continuously improve our work on your behalf, we invite your feedback. 

With this tradition of openness in mind, ACCG has prepared this publication. This handbook is presented primarily in a Q&A format and reflects statutory changes through the 2008 session of the General Assembly. In addition, readers will find a series of model forms to assist in administering and complying with the law, the verbatim statutory language of the open meetings and open records and related acts, caselaw summaries as well as opinions of the Attorney General pertaining to open meetings and records, and a concise summary of exemptions to the open records act. 

Finally, keep in mind that the model forms and policies in this handbook are suggested forms and policies. As with any model, it is critical that the county attorney be directly involved in the adoption and use of any of the models contained in this handbook. 

In sum, the open meetings and records laws contain numerous hazards and potential pitfalls for public servants. We trust this handbook will assist county officials in navigating those hazards and answer most, if not all, questions that may arise. 

Increased fee may limit public records access

As published in the Gainesville Times

I have read with interest the article "Hall loaded with records requests" (Jan. 11) which related that Hall County commissioners want to double the copying fee from 25 cents to 50 centers per copy for a citizen to get copies of Hall County records that are subject to public review per Georgia law.

It seems on the surface something is going on behind the scene. Could it be the tax assessors' GBI inquiry that recently occurred has brought up this "movement" to double copy costs for open records requests?

Why would Hall County commissioners bring up such a matter without even being able to provide the total number of open record requests that were received in 2008 or how many hours Hall County officials spent preparing the information requested by interested citizens and organizations? I was surprised that Hall County did not even keep a log or record of open record requests that were submitted during the supposedly "loaded" year of 2008.

It it evident this is a thinly veiled attempt to discourage citizens from filing open record requests and finding out what their government is doing and to limit the sun from shining in on the inner workings of local government and exposing waste and corruption.

Hall County officials should be encouraging citizen participation rather than limiting access to records legally open to the public. It appears Hall County commissioners have developed an intolerant attitude toward individuals and organizations who are simply seeking the truth.

Why should the copy fee be increased to 50 cents per copy when the actual retail cost for a copy at any of the local copying services in Gainesville does not exceed 9 cents per copy?

Commissioner Bobby Banks is in error when he says "it's just not enough for the time (clerk Heather Bennett) takes. It takes more than 25 cents a page. I think we should be compensated properly."

Commissioner Banks should be made aware that Hall County is compensated fairly in that it receives the 25 cents as well as hourly reasonable labor cost for searching, retrieving and other direct administrative cost for complying with an open records request. If sensitive documents are requested that requires the higher paid employee to handle the request rather than a clerk, the county has the authority to charge the individual making the request the higher the hourly fee.

It appears the commission has not read the following statement, on page 2 of the Association of County Commissioners open records guidebook, stating "Ease of access to meetings and records of local government and other public agencies is one of the keys in fostering trust. In support of that concept, Georgia's open meetings and open records law make it clear that the citizens of Georgia have a right to observe the process by which local officials make decisions affecting their pocketbooks and their daily lives."

Shame on the Hall County commissioners for trying to sneak this one by the citizens.

Lyman A. Martin, Gainesville