Leon Valley council denies $41 waiver for body-camera video request from disabled veteran

The Leon Valley City Council on Dec. 2 voted to deny a request to waive a $41 charge for a body‑camera video.

City Secretary Sandra Posley explained the requester had received some records at no charge but sought a waiver for body-camera footage that carries a $41 fee. Posley said the city had previously waived large open-records fees in 2021 when staff judged the release to be in the public interest, but current practice requires the requester to seek council approval for waivers in writing. She also told council the requester had been offered statutory alternatives such as modifying the request or scheduling an in‑office viewing of the footage.

Posley told the council the requester stated he could not pay the fee and identified himself as a disabled veteran: "He cannot afford to do that. He said he's a a veteran. He's disabled." Councilors debated whether waiving a fee would set a precedent and noted that $41 is the adopted city fee for body-camera copies and is covered in the adopted fee schedule. Councilor Mersh moved and Councilor Campos seconded a motion to deny the waiver; the mayor called for the vote and the motion carried.