The Virginia FOIA Opinion Archive

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Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #574

Meetings between city manager and city council are public unless an exemption applies. Conflicting city charter provisions trump FOIA.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #078

Meetings between school board employees and an education association need not be open.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #570

Discussion in closed session about town manager's employment in violation of FOIA because the meeting was not preceded by an affirmative vote in open session.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #573

Industrial authority may hold closed meeting to discuss prospective business relocations provided there has been no prior public announcement about the business' intention to locate in the area. Duty is to create access to records/meetings, not to proactively release information.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #022

Board employees may meet with employee representatives in closed session, though meeting with the representatives and the actual board must be open.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #212

Industrial development authorities are subject to FOIA. Act doesn't require public notice of meetings, just notice to those who have requested it.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #579

Informal gathering of body's members to discuss and vote on the election of mayor and vice-mayor violates FOIA.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #578

Secret-ballot vote at open meeting not permissible. Election of officers by improper secret at an open meeting not valid until vote can be retaken in open session.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #580

Composite evaluation of school superintendent, made up of several individual evaluations, is exempt as a personnel record.

Attorney General's Opinion 1974-75 #585

Teachers, and all publicly employed persons, have a right to view their own personnel file.

Attorney General's Opinion 1973-74 #457A

A body may prohibit the use of recording devices in its meetings only to the extent that it furthers the orderly administration of the meeting.

Attorney General's Opinion 1973-74 #450

Board cannot meet in executive session to discuss general budgetary matters. Individual matters that fall within an exemption may be discussed, provided the procedures from entering into a closed meeting are followed.

Attorney General's Opinion 1973-74 #456

City job applicant is entitled to see his application and accompanying background report.

Attorney General's Opinion 1973-74 #451

Boards of zoning appeals are subject to FOIA. any action taken in a closed session is null and void unless voted on in a public meeting.

Attorney General's Opinion 1973-74 #453

Council can hold annual meeting at Elk's National Home provided FOIA notice provisions are followed.

Attorney General's Opinion 1973-74 #454

College boards of visitors subject to some but not all of FOIA's provisions.

Attorney General's Opinion 1973-74 #241

State police not required to provide copies or allow for inspection of accident reports filed with the DMV, though there's nothing to prevent an officer from vonveying the information verbally or from a person getting the report through the DMV.

Attorney General's Opinion 1973-74 #453A

County board not required to admit county treasurer into properly called executive session.

Attorney General's Opinion 1973-74 #412A

Personal property roll books are not subject to the Tax Code's confidentiality provisions. Nor is a list of business licensees.

Attorney General's Opinion 1972-73 #498A

Welfare, adoption and illegitimate birth records are not open under FOIA. Other code sections prohibit their release.

Attorney General's Opinion 1972-73 #491

Acknowleding 1973 change in law that requires announcement of the specific topic to be discussed in closed session.

Attorney General's Opinion 1972-73 #497

The Virginia Port Authority may use mail-in ballots to carry on administrative work, public business must be conducted in accordance with FOIA.

Attorney General's Opinion 1972-73 #163

The press and the public have access rights to an electoral board's records.

Attorney General's Opinion 1972-73 #488

Only topics covered by FOIA may be discussed in a closed meeting. Public vote must be taken prior to adjourning into a closed meeting.

Attorney General's Opinion 1972-73 #496

Special investigative commission organized pursuant to city council resolution and made of less than the council's full membership not subject to FOIA.

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