MENDOCINO Co., 3/19/23 — Last week was “Sunshine Week,” when government transparency organizations, freedom of press advocates, and news outlets around the country highlight the importance of public transparency and access to government records — and this year, Mendocino County made the list of top villains in the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s “Foilies Awards” for our new local public records fee ordinance.
Since it was first proposed last June, we’ve advocated at multiple public meetings for Mendocino County to overturn this outrageous ordinance, which requires residents and news outlets to pay exorbitant fees, in advance, for access to records that should be free through a public records request. As part of this effort, we put together a letter from media outlets across the region along with state and national free speech advocacy groups, asking the supervisors to reconsider this unlawful ordinance.
Despite almost universal opposition to the ordinance in public comments — and a letter from the First Amendment Coalition outlining the ways in which it violates state law— the board has refused to change course. In early February, they had the opportunity to act, and we commend Supervisor John Haschak for speaking out, but the rest of the board declined to follow suit.
Since the ordinance passed, I personally have had responses to my requests with estimated fees for amounts including $66,660, $28,200, and $16,856.22 — the first two for a single records request related to current supervisors discussions on cannabis regulations and CAMP raids. As a small locally owned outlet, we don’t have the budget for these kinds of fees. However, we believe access to public records is essential to our work as local journalists who hold government officials accountable, and that more importantly, it’s the right of every resident to have legally obtained information about their elected officials. So we plan to keep filing requests, and speaking out against this ordinance.
Please read our most recent story on the county’s ordinance here. We hope you support us in this fight, and we’ll keep you updated on this issue in the future. Get in touch at [email protected] if you’d like to get involved. Comments can also be sent to the Board of Supervisors at [email protected].
As always, thanks for reading,
Kate Maxwell and The Mendocino Voice team
Previous coverage:
- Sunshine Week: national award names Mendocino County one of America’s “worst in government transparency”
- Mendocino County to charge fees for public records
- Free press advocates caution Mendocino County on new public records fee ordinance
- Open letter to Mendocino County supervisors: new public records fees will cost more than they save
- Our articles using public records: too many to list here
Apparently, fixing this mess will require a lawsuit against the county, another expense the county has not considered from this illegal ordinance.
Fire Christian Curtis now, he has given too much bad advice
I can’t wait for the lawsuit that comes out of this.
Imagine how bad the supes must have been if they are trying this hard to keep the public in the dark.
What are the Supervisors afraid of that they feel it necessary to charge for public records? Thousands of dollars??? Are they giving themselves another raise?
I do hope a lawsuit is filed. I will try to help however I can.
This is just the tip of one U G L Y iceberg… I’m not sure that opening this can of old! Old! Worms is going to play out as I believe it should. I’ll close with this, it’s a lot like CPS and RCS. It’s tough to govern a government Who Police’s itself. It’s partisan in it’s intirety….. . Adam
I was made the executor of my father‘s estate never told, or acknowledged this to me other than him telling me himself on his deathbed. I have waited years to find out what they did why how and most important why I am trying to get my stepfather‘s will where I am the executor, and was never acknowledged to beat that in for 15 years kept from me so to speak, even though he told me himself I was very controlled and I now today called to find out if you can take someone off as an executor and found out no you cannot and how sad that I found out it is in this county that I can find out or read his original will Please help me figure out how to orchestrate getting that information. My number is 559-9932371. My name is Tracy.
I just want to see the public records of his original will, which I did see myself that day he died, which was the day that he told me I was the executor of his estate and it is a big deal. He was an important person 15 years later my mom and my sister had me removed completely from the wheel altogether. I don’t think that’s legal And I don’t think it’s right considering the horrifying thing that happened that has happened to me in this family, my family he was my stepfather. What an honor I had no idea how he felt about me until that day my cup run it over with gratitude I didn’t I had no idea I just couldn’t even contain the feeling it gave me , since I was persecuted by my own family my entire life so now I want the copy of the original will or it states I am his executor. I want to public records I want to know who it was that my mother used as an attorney said very expensive attorney to have me removed. Still can’t imagine how they did that it says that you cannot have an executor Taken from the will unless you at least petition for that and then definitely serve them the orders or the request to have you removed I will not leave this alone. I will not stop until I know.
https://youtu.be/7LuhO9s70U8?si=_2IVGCA4DanW42Cki got proof of their corruption like judges ignoring evidence and laws to hide illegal warrants and corruption of charging children who were the victims of a situation with a felony because they were friends with the actual criminal teens mother. I have every documented and video /audio proof of this happening. Above is an example of what happens in their clubhouse and look at the channel it shows a bunch more examples of corruption in Mendocino County. But what’s not posted there is even worse. I do plan on posting the story but I’m waiting for a good time. Or a good. Source to spreed the story. Maybe you might be interested in what I got? It provides a lot of context for the topic of this article and implicates the previous head judge Jeanine Nade,?the new head judge Ann Moorman, CEO Kim Turner. The DA maliciously prosecuting for favors, public Pretenders office for working against the people they are representing by force ignoring the proof of their innocence and malicious conduct and incompetence of their own job, even have dirt on the law enforcement agencies. Have a ton said good stuff if you’re interested in adding some more crucial context for this article?? Let me know.I have aTB of proof in my cloud of proof of how corrupt the system is in Mendocino County.