County attorney to draft ordinance limiting commercial use of public-records requests

The county attorney, Clayton, briefed commissioners on a potential ordinance that would prohibit commercial use of information obtained through public-records (APRA) requests. Clayton said Indiana statute permits a political subdivision to adopt such an ordinance and that doing so could reduce time-consuming requests made with a primary intent of commercial advantage.

Clayton told the board that many requests consumed staff time and appeared aimed at gaining competitive insight (for example, companies seeking contract or tax-sale data). He said the proposed approach would not block legitimate public-interest requests but would require requesters to certify noncommercial use or otherwise face additional scrutiny.

Commissioners expressed general support for having a draft ordinance to review; they asked Clayton to prepare language for future consideration rather than act immediately. Clayton will draft the ordinance and return it for discussion in a subsequent meeting.

Why this matters: Commissioners framed the proposal as a time-saving measure to protect county staff resources, not a restriction on legitimate public access. Clayton emphasized the ordinance would be modeled on existing Indiana authority and would require requesters to verify noncommercial intent when it applies.

Next steps: Clayton will prepare a draft ordinance for the board to consider at a future meeting.