The village governments maintain a large body of records that include financial
records, meeting minutes (and meeting transcripts, on occasion), blueprints
of sub-divisions and major construction projects, compilations of police
activities, and a great deal more. Nearly all of this is in the "public
record" and must be made available to you on demand.
The Freedom of Information is your guarantee of access to these documents.
We include a sample of the basic FOI request letter
as well as a sample of the appeal letter
that you would file if your FOI request is not handled to the full satisfaction
of all applicable laws.
Further, your access to village meetings is guaranteed by the New
York State Open Meetings Law (or "Sunshine" Law). For more information
on these laws, contact the New York State Committee on Open Government at
518-474-2518 or write to:
Committee on Open Government
NYS Department of State
162 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12231
and ask for a copy of their pamphlet. Copies of the pamphlet are available
from the Village Residents Party, as well. The New
York State Committee on Open Government has an excellent web site with
a great deal of information on this and related subjects.