By Newton County Judge Ronnie Cochran
I would like to address the recent concerns regarding open records requests in Newton County. We receive many public information requests and have a strong track record of responding promptly and fulfilling these requests. Recently, however, the scope of some requests has been unusually large, requiring considerable employee time and effort to process. For example, some requests have included over 60,000 pages of information.
When such extensive requests are received, they are directed to the relevant county departments for processing. For instance, a large financial records request typically involves both the Treasurer’s and Auditor’s offices, which may spend weeks gathering the necessary information. During this time, these offices experience a significant reduction in productivity in their regular duties for the county.
Once the information is compiled, it must then be reviewed by the County Attorney, as state law mandates the redaction of personal information—such as Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, indigent care details, and prisoner/ grand jury information must be made from each and every one of those 60,000 pages. This careful review process adds further labor and time costs.
As a result of these demands by the state, fulfilling large-scale requests can impose substantial costs on Newton County taxpayers. To address these concerns fairly, the county has adopted the state Attorney General’s guidelines on record request fees. The first eight hours of work to fulfill any request will be provided at no charge; however, any additional hours will incur a fee of $15 per hour to offset the cost of labor required.
While some have suggested investing in specialized software or additional staffing to streamline this work, both options are financially burdensome. County employees already have designated responsibilities, and handling extensive records requests diverts resources from their essential duties, incurring additional costs for taxpayers.
We appreciate the public's interest in transparency and remain committed to fulfilling open records requests while managing taxpayer resources responsibly. I would like to reiterate that we have, are, and always will cooperate fully to provide the public with the information they request. My office is committed to keeping the best interests of the citizens our number one priority.
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