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Residents and council spar over proposed public‑records fee ordinance; ordinance adopted pending review

Saint Charles Parish Council · December 16, 2025

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Summary

A public commenter urged the council to reject a proposed public‑records fees ordinance citing a Louisiana attorney‑general opinion; proponents, including Councilwoman O'Daniels, defended the modest fee schedule and pledged to review implementation within nine to ten months. The council voted unanimously to adopt File 2025‑0359.

File 2025‑0359 would amend the parish code to allow modest fees for copies of public records. During the public hearing, Joseph Coco (identified as a resident) urged the council to reject the fees, citing Louisiana Attorney General Opinion No. 1500056 and arguing the Public Records Act is not designed to reimburse staff time and that fees can chill citizens' access to government records.

Councilwoman O'Daniels responded that the ordinance is designed to align with legislative authority allowing reasonable copy fees and that the proposed schedule was a compromise after consultation with department heads and legal staff. She said the council committed to review the ordinance in nine to ten months and to consider technological improvements and exemptions for particular circumstances.

Parish President Jewel corrected an earlier characterization of the proposal and noted the council had reduced the per‑page charge to 25¢ from an earlier 50¢ proposal. After council debate and no additional public speakers, the council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance.

Clarifying note: public commenters and councilmembers referenced AG guidance and a court decision in Ascension Parish as part of the discussion; the transcript records those references but does not include court documents in the record.