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Freedom of Information (FOIA)

The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3700 et seq.) guarantees citizens of the Commonwealth and representatives of the news media access to public records held by public bodies, public officials, and public employees.

FOIA Officer

The Town of Glasgow’s designated FOIA Officer is:

Allyson Finchum
Town Manager
Phone: (540) 258-2246
Mail: Town of Glasgow, PO Box 326, Glasgow, VA 24555

How to submit a request

FOIA requests may be made orally or in writing and may be submitted by phone, in person, by mail, or by email. While oral requests are permitted, written requests are recommended so that there is a clear record of what was asked and when.

A FOIA request should:

  • Identify the requester
  • Describe the records sought with enough specificity that the Town can locate them
  • Be addressed to the FOIA Officer

Response timeline

By Virginia law, the Town must respond within five working days of receiving a request. The response will be one of:

  1. Provide the records.
  2. Withhold the records (in whole or in part) under a specific FOIA exemption, with citation.
  3. State that the records do not exist.
  4. Request a seven-working-day extension if more time is needed.
  5. Provide a partial response combining options 1–4.

Fees

The Town may charge a reasonable fee for staff time to search, review, and copy records. The Town will provide a cost estimate before incurring charges that would exceed $200, and will not require advance payment in excess of the estimate.

Frequently requested records

Most Town records are available without a formal FOIA request:

Statewide FOIA resources

The Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council assists with FOIA questions and disputes:

A statewide FOIA training reference is also available from the Virginia Coalition for Open Government: opengovva.org.