Is Gore's fee for open records too high?
Known as the trout capital of Oklahoma, Gore has been catching a lot of attention lately for what's happening at town hall."Prior to 2024 I’ve had three open re The town of Gore, Oklahoma, has been experiencing controversy over its fee for open records requests. A newly approved ordinance allows for $40 per hour to process open records queries. However, critics argue that this is too high and that the fee is intended to recoup taxpayer money spent on the requests. Town & Court Clerk Lisa Settlemyre has reported 75 open record requests since January 2024, many of which have come from former board member Gideon Miller. These requests have taken her 41 hours to process. Despite the ordinance, Miller maintains his open records request, which will continue.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Burt Mummolo, https://www.facebook.com/NewsChannel8Tulsa/ in
How much should a town charge to process open records requests? That's the controversy brewing in the town of Gore.
A town official says the ordinance is to help recoup taxpayer money spent on doing the requests. But is $40 an hour asking too much?
Known as the trout capital of Oklahoma, Gore has been catching a lot of attention lately for what's happening at town hall.
"Prior to 2024 I’ve had three open records requests," said Town & Court Clerk Lisa Settlemyre.
But that was before a board trustee was voted out by his fellow board members. And since that time the number of open records requests?
"Since January 2024 I’ve had 75 open records requests," she said.
Many of those have come from former board member Gideon Miller. What has he found?
"We have found quite a few things. Very alarming things. Some of them we don’t know the full conclusion of the package. I will say that we have submitted dozens of criminal complaints to the sheriff’s department, to the DA, and some of those to my understanding have even made their way to the AG’s office," he said.
All those requests have turned into a mountain of work for the town clerk.
"They’ve taken me 41 hours to do those," said Settlemyre.
Hence, a newly approved ordinance that will now charge $40 per hour to process open records requests.
"Gore’s been a town since 1902 and you’ve never had this and then all of a sudden a few people want to check into their government and they’re freaking out about it and then they pass this ordinance that has the absurd search fee," said Solomon Miller.
"How do we charge, justify charging $40 an hour when you have a custodian of records who makes $18.50? State statute says that reasonable, direct related costs. How is $40 an hour reasonable?," asked Gideon Miller.
Town officials declined our requests for an interview. As for Miller's open records requests, he says those will continue despite the ordinance.
"Are we now using this as a way to intimidate folks from exercising their rights to request open records?," asked Miller.