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Council rejects mandatory FOIA library, adopts administration’s discretionary FOIA library
Summary
After hours of public comment and debate, council defeated Councilmember Gibson’s mandatory FOIA‑library ordinance (2025‑210) and instead adopted the administration’s version (2025‑240), a compromise the majority said balanced transparency with privacy and operational concerns.
Richmond City Council on Dec. 15 considered two competing ordinances to establish an online Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) library and, after extensive public testimony, voted down the mandatory, councilmember‑sponsored version and adopted the administration’s alternative.
Councilmember Kenya Gibson’s ordinance (2025‑210) would have required routine publication of FOIA requests and the city’s responsive records in a searchable online library with limited, law‑based exceptions. Gibson and many public commenters — including tenants from Gilpin Court, open‑government advocates…
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