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Board denies FOIA appeal for compiled county assessment roll; director says county offers online access or paid enhanced-access exports
Summary
Alexander Monroe appealed fees for a requested county assessment roll export, arguing FOIA entitled him to a compiled, machine-readable file; the board denied the appeal after the county explained it does not maintain a compiled countywide roll and uses an enhanced-access fee schedule for exports.
The Livingston County Board of Commissioners denied a Freedom of Information Act appeal by licensed broker Alexander Monroe who sought a compiled, CSV-format county assessment roll.
Monroe told the board he needed a structured, searchable file to analyze parcel data and said the county's quoted fee for a custom export (he cited roughly $3,400) exceeded statutory reasonableness. He argued that public-policy aims of FOIA favor broader, low-cost disclosure.
County staff from equalization replied that the county does not maintain a single compiled countywide assessment roll in their office; instead, the department obtains assessment rolls from each local unit and provides public-facing access via its website. Staff said the county has, by board policy, an "enhanced access" fee schedule for custom exports and that similar requests from data vendors (e.g., property-aggregator companies) have been charged under that policy.
After hearing both sides and asking questions about available online resources and alternatives, commissioners voted 9'0'00 to deny the appeal. The board recorded that the dispute centered on the classification of the request (FOIA vs. enhanced-access compilation) and whether the county is required to compile and deliver a machine-readable dataset at county expense.
What was said: Monroe: "I think that the quoted amount of $3,400 just seems to exceed what even IPRA provides for." Equalization Director: "We do receive requests like this from entities like Zillow... it falls under the enhanced access to public records, which you guys have set in place." (Paraphrased from meeting testimony.)
What happens next: The county will notify Monroe of the denial and reiterate publicly available alternatives or enhanced-access terms. Monroe and others may still pursue individual FOIA requests to local units or pay for a custom export under the county's enhanced-access policy.
Attribution: Reporting based on public testimony and agency responses at the March 23, 2026 Livingston County Board meeting.
