The Cost of Transparency - Garden City News

The Cost of Transparency - Garden City News

The article criticizes the Village of Garden City for allocating substantial funds to outside counsel for Freedom of Information Law requests, despite already having a village attorney. It highlights the disturbing delay in responding to resident requests and questions the necessity of this extra legal expense. Transparency is presented not as a courtesy but as a legal obligation essential for public accountability. The editorial argues that government agencies must fulfill their duty to provide records efficiently, rather than using legal fees to excuse delays or obscure information. This issue is relevant to open data because it underscores the critical link between legal frameworks for information access and genuine governmental transparency. Effective open data practices depend on agencies proactively sharing records, ensuring that public funds are not wasted on unnecessary barriers to citizen access.

Source: gcnews.com
Published on 2026-10-10