Advocating for Openness in Local Government

The Transparency Project of Georgia is an advocacy organization dedicated to promoting openness and accountability in local government throughout the state. Founded by journalists advocating for open government, the project provides information for citizens, educates public officials, and assists the media in their oversight role.

The organization focuses on Georgia’s two primary transparency laws: the Open Meetings Act and the Open Records Act. Through educational resources, free editorials, and the Sunshine Q&A service, the project helps citizens understand their rights and exercise them effectively.

The Transparency Project was created by Jim Zachary, an award-winning editorial writer and longstanding open government advocate. Zachary also founded the Tennessee Transparency Project, and his work has been recognized across the journalism community for its commitment to government accountability.

The project operates on the fundamental principle that government belongs to the governed. By empowering citizens with knowledge about their transparency rights, the organization works to ensure that elected officials operate openly and in the public interest.

Georgia’s Open Meetings Act (O.C.G.A. 50-14-1 et seq.) requires that meetings of government bodies be open to the public. This includes county commissions, city councils, school boards, and other public agencies. The law mandates advance public notice of meetings, permits citizens to attend and record proceedings, and limits the circumstances under which meetings can be closed.

The Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 et seq.) provides citizens with the right to access government documents and records. Under this law, virtually all records created or maintained by government agencies are presumed to be public, with limited exceptions for sensitive information such as personal identity details, ongoing investigations, and certain personnel records.

Both laws were significantly strengthened in 2012 through comprehensive reforms that introduced stronger enforcement mechanisms, including civil penalties for violations. The Attorney General’s office was given enhanced authority to investigate complaints and take legal action against non-compliant agencies.

Together, these laws form the foundation of government transparency in Georgia. They ensure that citizens can observe their government in action, access the documents that inform government decisions, and hold elected officials accountable for their actions.

Filing an open records request in Georgia is a straightforward process. You can submit a request to the records custodian of any government agency, including county offices, city halls, school districts, and law enforcement agencies. Requests can typically be made by letter, email, or sometimes by phone.

Your request should clearly identify the records you are seeking. Be as specific as possible about the types of documents, date ranges, and subjects to help the agency locate the records efficiently. You do not need to explain why you want the records or provide identification in most cases.

Under Georgia law, agencies must respond to your request within three business days. They must either provide the records, explain why the records are exempt from disclosure, or provide a timeline for when the records will be available. Agencies may charge reasonable fees for copying documents, but the fees cannot be used as a barrier to access.

If your request is denied or you do not receive a timely response, you have enforcement options including contacting the Georgia First Amendment Foundation for guidance, filing a complaint with the Attorney General’s office, or consulting with an attorney about potential legal action to compel compliance.

Yes, Georgia’s Open Meetings Act expressly provides that members of the public have the right to attend and record public meetings. This includes both audio and video recording. Government officials cannot prohibit or restrict citizens from exercising this right during open sessions of public meetings.

The right to record serves multiple important purposes. It creates an independent record of government proceedings that can supplement or verify official minutes. It allows citizens who cannot attend in person to review what happened at meetings. And it provides accountability by documenting exactly what officials say and do during public business.

This right was affirmed in a landmark case involving the City of Cumming, where a mayor’s attempt to stop a citizen from recording a city council meeting resulted in more than $12,000 in fines under the state’s reformed transparency laws. The case established a clear precedent that violations of recording rights will be penalized.

While the right to record applies to open portions of public meetings, it does not extend to executive sessions, which are closed portions of meetings held for specific limited purposes such as discussing pending litigation or personnel matters. However, the vast majority of government business must be conducted in open session.

The Transparency Project of Georgia provides a comprehensive range of resources for citizens, journalists, and public officials. The cornerstone of these resources is educational content about Georgia’s Open Meetings Act and Open Records Act, presented in accessible language that helps people understand their rights without requiring legal expertise.

The project offers free editorials written by Jim Zachary that can be republished by any publication without charge. These editorials address fundamental issues of government transparency and civic responsibility, helping to spread awareness about the importance of open government across Georgia’s media landscape.

Through the Sunshine Q&A service, operated in partnership with the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, the project answers citizens’ specific questions about open government issues. This service provides personalized guidance on topics ranging from filing records requests to understanding when executive sessions are legally permitted.

The project also maintains informational resources on specific topics including police records access, executive session laws, and public notice requirements. These topic-specific pages serve as reference guides for citizens seeking to understand particular aspects of Georgia’s transparency framework.