Oakland officials have flagrantly violated transparency law

"At all levels of government, there are laws designed to build public trust by providing transparency into what powerful officials are doing and saying, so residents and taxpayers can hold them to account and weigh in. One such law is the California Public Records Act. This act was modeled on a federal law you may have heard of called the Freedom of Information Act."

"Enacted in 1968, the state law established a " fundamental and necessary right " to access state and local government records. The law says that all government records are open to the public unless it provides an eligible reason - an "exemption" - for why a particular record can be kept secret. And the law spells out exactly what government officials need to do when they get a public records request: promptly search for and hand over records."

"Each councilmember has staff members who typically assist with records requests. They also have access to the City Attorney's Office, which can help councilmembers comply with the law. But The Oaklandside has found most of them regularly flout their obligations under the law, either replying to requests weeks or months after the legal deadline, providing incomplete responses, or ignoring requests altogether. Longstanding Councilmember Noel Gallo stands out: he has illegally ignored almost all of the 14 requests we've filed with his office."

Public trust in Oakland leadership reached a low after rising crime, a federal raid on the mayor's home, a mayoral recall, and a municipal financial crisis. California's Public Records Act guarantees public access to state and local government records unless specific exemptions apply and requires officials to promptly search for and disclose requested records. Oakland elected officials receive training and have staff and legal resources to comply. Many officials routinely violate the law by responding late, providing incomplete records, or ignoring requests. Longstanding Councilmember Noel Gallo has largely failed to respond legally to the majority of requests to his office.

Read at The Oaklandside