Open Records Act Complaint on Price Gouging by DeKalb County
Open Records Request Complaint on Water/Sewer Billing Crisis
By Viola Davis
To DeKalb County Taxpayers and Voters:
We submitted an Open Records Request for the emails of Zachary Williams and Antrameka Knight to perform further research on the water/sewer billing and water crises. We were given an original price of $135.00 each for the digital versions of the emails. We delivered the full payment of $135.00 for Zachary Williams’ emails via money order on July 9, 2018. We agreed to pick up the request via a hard drive on July 16, 2018. We had several citizen researchers ready to go through the emails. However, the county attorney changed the price from $135.00 to $5,376.74.
Truthfully, we cannot afford this price and see such a price as an “over-charge”.
We have received email information from several similar Open Records Requests in the past without such a “review charge” to include:
- Kelvin Walton’s emails – Prior Chief Purchasing Officer (CPO) for DeKalb County Purchasing and Contracting Department …charge was $52.50 on request number 1 and $97.50 on request number 2.
- Talisa Clark’s emails – Present Chief Purchasing Officer (CPO) for DeKalb County Purchasing and Contracting Department…charge was $187.50.
We are forced to ask, “What are they trying to hide?”
Please Note. In reference to your correspondence to me dated August 10, 2018, concerning our Open Records Request for Zachary Williams’ emails, I am not requesting this information as a State Representative-Elect for House District 87.
You will note that all correspondence concerning our request has been submitted by our organization/ministry of Unhappy Taxpayer & Voter and as a community missionary. I have submitted requests to the County as a community missionary for over twenty years. Kindly consider this request as the same.
We are forwarding a timeline of events involving this request and copies of emails, plus other documents for you to review.
Since it is your vote that “hires and fires” elected officials, and your tax money that finances the elected officials’ salaries, budgets, staff, equipment, etc., we proclaim that you are the “Employers” and elected officials are the “Employees”!
Please contact your “employees” and ask the following:
- Why did the County overcharge for this Open Records Request? Is it because we are researching the water/sewer billing crises?
- Finally, what are they trying to hide?
Timeline for Open Records Request for Zachary Williams and Antrameka Knight emails
- July 5, 2018 – We sent an Open Records Request for Zachary Williams’ and Antrameka Knight’s emails.
- July 5, 2018 – We were informed the Open Records Request would cost us $135.00.
- July 6, 2018 – We stated that we would deliver the money for the items requested in the Open Records Request to the Finance Department.
- July 9, 2018 – We delivered $135.00 in the form of a money order to the Finance Department for Zachary Williams’ emails. At that time, we requested an approximate date of when we could pick up the emails (hard drive).
- July 11, 2018 - We agreed to pick up the emails (hard drive) on Monday, July 16, 2018.
- July 12, 2018 – We informed our citizen researchers/volunteers that we will pick up the emails (hard drive) on Monday for them to start review.
- July 13, 2018 – We were informed that our Open Records Request concerning Zachary Williams would have an additional charge.
- July 16, 2018 – We requested information on the additional charges.
- August 3, 2018 – We made a second request for information on the additional charges. We were informed the charges will be well over $1000.00. We challenged the reason for such a drastic and elevated charge.
- August 12, 2018 – We decided to inform the taxpayers and voters of the additional charge of $5,376.74. We ask, “What are they hiding”?
Open Records Act Complaint – DeKalb County Price Gouging With Attachments by Viola Davis on Scribd
Government Watchdog Files Complaint with Attorney General of Georgia Due To DeKalb County’s Refusal to Open Records Request
MEMORANDUM
TO: SAM OLENS, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF GEORGIA
FROM: VIOLA DAVIS WITH UNHAPPY TAXPAYER & VOTER
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG FILES COMPLAINT WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL OF GEORGIA DUE TO DEKALB COUNTY’S REFUSAL TO ANSWER OPEN RECORDS REQUEST
DATE: MAY 19, 2015
CC: ICEO LEE MAY, DEKALB BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, RESTORE DEKALB, GEORGIA WATCHDOGS, DEKALB COUNTY WATCHDOGS AND ALL APPROPRIATE PARTIES
Government Watchdog Files Complaint with Attorney General of Georgia Due To DeKalb County’s Refusal to Answer Open Records Request
I, Viola Davis, Founder of Unhappy Taxpayer & Voter, submitted a summary of the Open Records Requests denied and/or partially answered by DeKalb County Government to Burke Brennan, DeKalb County Press Secretary, on March 27, 2015. I also informed Interim CEO Lee May and DeKalb County Board of Commissioners of the denied requests.
The prior summary was directed to Burke Brennan per his request. The method in which our Open Records Requests were handled demonstrates a disparity and unequal treatment when private citizens and watchdog organizations submit requests to DeKalb County. However, Burke Brennan delivered four discs to me during a Board of Commissioner’s meeting to answer the request for Kelvin Walton’s emails from January 1, 2010 to the last day of Walton’s employment. Unfortunately, the four discs neglected to answer the following requests:
1. The original Open Records Request made October 8, 2014 to John Matelski, Chief Information Officer, and Barbara Sanders.
2. January 29, 2015 – We sent an email voicing our concern that our Open Records Request was over 3 months old. Michelle Vernon stated they were working on the federal subpoena. We reminded the department that we corrected our Open Records Request a long time ago to extend the dates to the last day Kelvin Walton worked for DeKalb County, or had access to DeKalb County records.
3. The four discs did not include all of Kelvin Walton’s emails for 2013 and 2014.
4. The four discs included emails for 2015 sent to Walton’s email, after Kelvin Walton left employment with DeKalb County.
5. The fact that the county kept Walton’s email account open after he left employment with DeKalb County needs to be investigated.
6. Why did the county purposely refuse to provide Kelvin Walton’s 2013 and 2014 emails to our watchdog ministry? However, they gave us emails dated 2015.
We request the Attorney General of Georgia, Sam Olens, investigate DeKalb County’s negligence and total disregard to adhering to the Georgia Open Records law and the pattern of behavior that “thumbs its nose” at private citizens and watchdog organizations. We plan to file a complaint with Attorney Georgia Sam Olens to hold DeKalb County accountable and restore public trust.