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"Understanding FOIA requirements has posed some trouble for members, the bulk of whom were unfamiliar with the process prior to joining the board."
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The state Department of Elections isn’t watching elections as closely as it should, isn’t providing help to local registrars and has often been politically influenced because of its staffing structure, a study by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission found. The Department of Elections is constantly trying to keep up with an increasing workload, said Commissioner Chris Piper. He was appointed in January but worked previously in the Department of Elections for eight years in different positions. He told the JLARC committee that unplanned events also add to the department’s workload. The department often gets Freedom of Information Act requests right before election season, which can overwhelm staff. Redistricting also adds to the workload, he said.
Virginia Mercury
In recent weeks, Arlington County and its school system have sought to charge ARLnow hundreds of dollars to fulfill public records requests, or simply not responded to them — and others around the county have noticed similar issues accessing public documents. The county has asked for more than $1,140 in all to provide records in response to three requests by ARLnow under the Freedom of Information Act, using accounting practices that raised eyebrows at one of Virginia’s open government watchdog groups. In another case, Arlington Public Schools has gone more than a month before providing any response to an ARLnow FOIA request, missing a state-mandated deadline by weeks. Other reporters and political activists told ARLnow they’ve received even larger bills, or similarly been stumped by radio silence from the county on the requests.
ARLnow
Discussions at the Charlottesville Police Civilian Review Board’s meeting Tuesday continued to revolve around the group’s lack of power and the logistical difficulties it faces. This initial iteration of the CRB is specifically tasked with developing bylaws that will govern and guide future boards. Per the resolution establishing it, the CRB cannot begin collecting data and acting without approval from the City Council. This has caused some difficulties for members, with some expressing their frustrations in trying to figure out what information they can collect from the public. Additionally, members have repeatedly brought up concerns about Freedom of Information requirements that could make it difficult to protect the anonymity of people bringing complaints to the board. Also addressed was an FOIA request from Denise Lunsford, an attorney representing the Southern States Police Benevolent Association. Some CRB members took issue with Lunsford’s request, which is the second the board has received. Understanding FOIA requirements has posed some trouble for members, the bulk of whom were unfamiliar with the process prior to joining the board.
The Daily Progress
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