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Huntington Township names open‑records officer as resident raises Right‑to‑Know concerns
Summary
Supervisors voted to appoint an open‑records officer after officials said record requests have grown; a resident alleged an elected auditor deleted a meeting video and linked multiple recent Right‑to‑Know requests to that incident.
Huntington Township supervisors voted to appoint an open‑records officer during their Feb. 13 meeting, saying an increase in public records requests has strained staff time.
The board moved to assign the open‑records duties to a member of township leadership and approved a plan to route requests to a dedicated email account. The board said the change is intended to help the secretary/treasurer manage routine duties while ensuring the township complies with state requirements for responding to requests.
The appointment came as resident Marie DeGangi used the public‑comment period to say she had filed multiple Right‑to‑Know Law requests following an incident at an auditors’ meeting. DeGangi told the board that elected auditor Laura Hoke admitted to deleting a video she had recorded of DeGangi at a public meeting and said the deletion raised “serious questions as to the integrity” of the auditors and township governance. DeGangi said eight of her requests stem from that deleted recording and that the accumulated fees for some requests were substantial.
Township officials said they will follow the state open‑records law and intend to meet statutory deadlines for responses. The township solicitor confirmed there was no legal impediment to the appointment, and the board agreed to create a separate email address that will route requests directly to the designated open‑records officer.
Board members declined to assign a third‑party to perform the work and said, unless legal counsel is required, the appointment will not increase township costs. Supervisors voted by voice to approve the appointment; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the minutes.
DeGangi pressed for faster responses and asked whether the change would ensure requests are answered within the five‑business‑day timeframe she cited; officials said their intent is to meet statutory timelines. DeGangi also read a list of specific Right‑to‑Know requests she has submitted, which the township has logged and opened for processing.
The board did not make any disciplinary findings at the meeting regarding the deleted video; DeGangi said she has pursued records and expects further follow up.
The supervisors closed the item and moved on to other agenda business.
