What public information can I request?

Journalists are not the only ones who can request publicly available information. The Texas Public Information Act and Freedom of Information Act allow anyone to request open records from governmental bodies or any other entity that is supported by public money.

Sunshine Week, scheduled for March 12-18 this year, was established to shine light on this public ability and responsibility. Community Impact Newspaper plans to post online stories that shine light on public information requests and proposed legislation that may strengthen or threaten open records laws.

For those interested in requesting public information, many entities have online portals for submitting such requests. Frisco’s portal is available through the city’s website on the city secretary’s page. Here are a few examples of publicly available information:

• Emails from public officials and employees
• Salary information for public employees
• Site development plans
• Crime data