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Battle Creek moves FOIA coordination to city manager (delegation to city attorney); residents warn of higher fees
Summary
The Battle Creek City Commission voted Dec. 17 to designate the city manager as FOIA coordinator (effective Jan. 1, 2025) with the ability to delegate to the city attorney; residents told the commission the change could raise fees and reduce transparency, while staff said an online system and use of support staff should limit cost increases.
The Battle Creek City Commission on Dec. 17 approved a policy update that designates the city manager as the municipalitys FOIA coordinator beginning Jan. 1, 2025, with authority to delegate processing and legal review to the city attorney's office.
Residents who spoke during the public-comment period urged the commission to reconsider, saying the change would raise the cost of public-record requests and make it harder for ordinary residents to obtain documents. "It's going to raise the FOIA fees," said Joe Harris, who outlined Michigan FOIA fee rules and warned that using higher-paid attorney rates could "discourage public participation in the democratic process." Autumn Smith said the city has in the past "abuse[d] and misuse[d] FOIA" and accused staff of improperly invoking attorney-client privilege to withhold records.
City leaders defended the change as a legal and…
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