Attorney General's Opinion 1977-78 #481A

VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT Constitutional Officer (Treasurer) Is Citizen Under Terms Of Act Same rights of access to of financial records as any other citizen. Budget records.

May 22, 1978

THE HONORABLE CHARLES A. REID
Treasurer for Greensville County

77-78 481A

You have asked whether a constitutional officer, such as county treasurer, has a right to inspect official records under the Freedom of Information Act (Act) and whether it was a violation of the Act to deny you access to budget records. Section 2.l-342(a), Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, provides that official records of governmental agencies and offices of the State and its political subdivisions shall be open to inspection and copying by "any citizens of this State."

I am of the opinion that local constitutional officers are citizens under the terms of the Act and may exercise the same rights of access to official records as any other citizen. Accordingly, it was, in my opinion, a violation of the Act to deny you access to the records in question if the facts are such that the records were required by the Act to be made available for inspection and copying to any citizen.