Freedom of Information Act

“It is vital in a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and public manner so that the electors shall be advised of the performance of public officials and of the decisions that are reached in public activity and in making public policy.” – Arkansas Freedom of Information Act of 1967

The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act was enacted on February 14, 1967 and sets forth the rules and regulations that govern the transparency of city governments in the state of Arkansas.  The Act likewise governs municipal commissions and boards and outlines how meetings are conducted, policies are set and records are kept and made available to the public.

Citizens of Arkansas may make a Freedom of Information request in person, by phone, by e-mail, by fax or by mail. Citizens seeking information will want to include as much detail as possible in the request (this includes any date parameters, type of records, City Department or staff persons, etc.) in order for City staff to quickly and accurately identify and locate documents.  While a request may be made to any City employee, all requests for information will be routed through the City Clerk’s Office to ensure that all State and Federal guidelines are followed before any information is released. 

To send an e-mail requesting documents to the City Clerk, click here.

Citizens may learn more by the Freedom of Information Act by visiting the sites listed below:

Arkansas Attorney General’s Opinions - http://www.arkansasag.gov/opinions/index.php

Arkansas Supreme Court Opinion - http://opinions.aoc.arkansas.gov/WebLink8/Welcome.aspx

Arkansas Attorney General’s Resources - https://arkansasag.gov/resources/foia/

Arkansas Freedom of Information Handbook (available in PDF) - https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.arkansaspress.org/resource/resmgr/files/foia_handbook_19th_edition.pdf