JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway says most audited local governments didn’t fully comply with open-records requests and about 16 percent didn’t respond at all.
Galloway’s office released findings Tuesday from a sampling of Missouri’s more than 4,100 local governments.
Her office in August sent Sunshine Law requests to more than 300 cities, villages, school districts and other entities. Auditors asked for meeting minutes and agendas.
About 37 percent of entities who received requests blew the three-day deadline to respond as required by law. About 16 percent still had not responded as of mid-September, roughly six weeks later.
Only about 30 percent of local government entities fully complied with Sunshine Law requests.
The report says poor compliance with the Sunshine Law could mean fines, lawsuits and loss of credibility.
