The City of Canadian follows the guidelines set by the Office of the Attorney General for public records requests.
Tips for Successful Open Records Requests
1. Your request must be in writing to the governmental entity you believe maintains the documents. Only written requests trigger a governmental body's obligations under the Public Information Act.
2. Your request should be for documents or other information that is already in existence. Governmental Bodies are not required to answer questions, perform legal research, or comply with a contuing request to supply information on a periodic basis as such information is prepared in the future.
3. We recommend that all requests be sent by U.S. mail and that a copy of the original request and proof of its receipt by the governmental body be kept.
4. We recommend that all requests be addressed to the Officer for Public Information or the chief administrative officer of the governmental body. Requests made by facsimile or electronic mail must be addressed to the Officer for Public Information or the chief administrative officer in order to trigger an obligation under the Public Information Act.
5. If you believe that a governmental body has not responded as required by the Public Information Act, we recommend that you contact the Open Records Division Hotline at (512)478-6736 or toll-free (877)673-6839, your local District Attorney, or local County Attorney.