County Commissioners rescind open records order and approve courthouse improvements

Wichita County officials took decisive action during the Commissioner’s Court meeting on July 1, 2025, approving a significant change to the county's open records policy. The court unanimously voted to rescind a previous order that mandated all open records requests be submitted through a specific web form or email to the civil attorney's office. This decision comes in response to an overwhelming influx of requests, many believed to be generated by bots, which have burdened the civil office and hindered timely responses to legitimate requests from constituents.

Commissioner Mahler highlighted the issue, noting that the previous system had led to an "unnecessary burden" on resources and created security vulnerabilities. The court's new approach will allow each elected official or department head to receive open records requests directly, streamlining the process and ensuring that requests are handled more efficiently. However, officials emphasized that all requests should still be forwarded to the civil office for compliance and oversight.

In addition to the policy change, the court also approved the regular bills for payment and ratified the minutes from previous sessions, both passing with unanimous support. The meeting concluded with discussions on a courthouse construction project aimed at improving accessibility and erosion control, further demonstrating the court's commitment to enhancing county infrastructure.

This shift in policy is expected to improve response times for public records requests and reduce the workload on the civil attorney's office, ultimately benefiting the residents of Wichita County.