FOIA Request to Town of Bakersville regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Town of Bakersville by High Country Times, a media organization dedicated to providing thorough and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs. The request, sent on February 1, 2026, seeks access to specific records under the North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. §132-1., with a preference for receiving them in electronic format.
The requested records pertain to procurement bids and responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) received by the city during the immediately preceding calendar month. The information sought includes solicitation or project titles, names of bidders or proposers, submission dates, bid amounts or proposed costs, and descriptions of the goods or services proposed. This request is aimed at gathering information of public interest for dissemination purposes and is limited to existing records without necessitating the creation of new documents.
In the event that any portion of this request is denied or withheld, High Country Times has asked for a specific statutory basis for such denial and requests that all reasonably segregable portions of the records be released. As a member of the media involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, High Country Times has also requested a fee waiver due to its role in disseminating information and holding public institutions accountable.
The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. More information about this organization can be found on their website: https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.
Our team will continue to keep you updated as we gather and report news related to this request and other matters of public interest. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification regarding this matter.
