Freedom of Information Act Coordinator

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Who We Are

The FOIA coordinator shall be responsible for accepting and processing requests for the public body's public records under Public Act 442 of 1976 and shall be responsible for approving a denial under section 5(4) and (5). The position is appointed by the County Board Chairman.

Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulates and sets requirements for the disclosure of public records by all "public bodies" in the state. Allegan County complies with the requirements set by this Act and the public may fill out the appropriate request form for public records.

Public Records Open to Disclosure

In general, all records except those specifically cited as exceptions are covered by FOIA. The records covered include minutes of open meetings, officials' voting records, final orders or decisions in contested cases, and many more. It does not matter what form the record is in. The act applies to anything ranging from handwriting and typewriting to pictures and audio recordings.

Availability of Public Records

A request must be made in writing and provided to the FOIA coordinator of the public body. A person may ask to inspect, copy or receive a copy of a public record. There are no qualifications such as residency or age that must be met in order to make a request. Something to keep in mind is that a government agency may charge a fee for the necessary copying of a public record for inspection or providing a copy of a public record to a requestor.