A peek at what’s ahead for the public records hearings
In three weeks, the Office of Open Records Counsel will hold the first of three public hearings on consecutive days in Knoxville, Nashville and Jackson to get comments on whether the law should be changed so that citizens can be charged to inspect records. Louden County mayor Rollen “Buddy” Bradshaw told the News-Herald in Lenoir City in a Sunday story that he plans to attend the Knoxville hearing on Sept. 16 and advocate for fees. He cited a records request from a citizen that cost "$8,000-$9,000 in attorney fees, additional labor costs and other expenses" -- expenses he thinks the citizen should have to pay. The citizen who made the public [...]