Officials, citizens turn to open records office

The Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel responded to more than 1,200 inquiries in the last year as more government officials and citizens turn to the office for help navigating the state’s open meetings and open records law.
Since March 2010, the office fielded questions ranging from how much can be charged for providing copies of records, to what constitutes adequate public notice for a meeting and what records are exempt from public inspection.
Elisha D. Hodge, who serves as the counsel, said more officials and citizens are aware of her office and the assistance she can provide.
More than 600 questions came from government officials and nearly 500 were from citizens, according to an annual report prepared for the General Assembly. About 90 questions came from media organizations.