From the Spring Hope Enterprise (3/28/13): A new fee adopted by the Middlesex Board of Commissioners for extensive public records requests may violate the state's Public Records law, according to the North Carolina Press Association.
The commissioners in January decided to charge fees up to $26 for requests that require more than 30 minutes to complete, in addition to the current copy cost of 20-cent per page. This decision has sparked controversy with some residents.
The North Carolina Public Records law, statute 132-6.2 subsection b, states that if the request for public records requires extensive clerical assistance then the agency may charge “in addition to the actual cost of duplication, a special service charge, which shall be reasonable and shall be based on the actual cost incurred for…(the) resources or the labor costs of the personnel providing the services.”