Written by: Sam Orlando

AUGUSTA COUNTY, VA – In what some residents are calling a bold move to make government less accessible, Acting Chair Pam Carter of the Pastures District unveiled her plan to address a growing "crisis": people exercising their legal right to request public records. Carter, during the November 13th Board of Supervisors meeting, proposed a deep dive into the horrors of FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests, complete with a ranking of the top five requesters and an analysis of their supposed cost to the county.

Carter, citing wisdom gleaned from a Virginia Association of Counties (VACO) conference, suggested that Augusta County wasn’t alone in its struggle with the FOIA scourge. “As a result of the VACO conference discussion that happened, evidently, we’re not the only locality that’s getting bombarded by FOIA requests,” Carter lamented, as if public interest in government affairs were some kind of invasive species.

The proposal was met with immediate pushback from Dr. Scott Seaton of the Wayne District, who expressed concern that such a move could discourage public participation. “We already have this information,” Seaton pointed out, adding that it was readily available to anyone who bothered to look—a subtle jab at the apparent redundancy of Carter’s suggestion. He also questioned the underlying message: that transparency comes with too high a price tag.

Transparency Advocates Call Out "the Spin"

Augusta County Watch (ACW), a local watchdog organization, wasted no time in debunking Carter’s concerns. In a Facebook post dripping with its own brand of statistical shade, ACW presented data showing that FOIA activity in the county is, to use a technical term, not a big deal. According to ACW, an average of 6.4 FOIA requests are made weekly, spread across departments, with no one office drowning under a sea of paperwork.

The group went further, challenging the notion that FOIA requests impose significant costs on the county. “FOIA compliance is part of the job,” ACW explained, comparing Carter’s logic to that of a nurse complaining about being asked to perform a task while already on shift. “The employee or agency may not ‘like’ answering FOIA requests, but it’s part of their job, does not cost the taxpayer anything extra, and IS REQUIRED under the law,” the post quipped.

But the real kicker? Carter’s quest for FOIA enlightenment had already been achieved months earlier. Ray Eppard, chair of the Augusta County Republican Committee, had requested the same data in July. The fact that Carter still felt the need to spearhead this motion has left some residents scratching their heads—or rolling their eyes.

A Chilling Message to FOIA Users?

Critics argue that Carter’s proposal is more about optics than efficiency. Publicizing the names of frequent FOIA requesters, they contend, could intimidate individuals and organizations seeking government accountability. After all, who wouldn’t want their name highlighted for simply asking questions?

Scott Cline, an ACW member and one of the county’s top FOIA users, wasn’t buying the supposed financial burden argument either. “Just wondering out loud why [Carter] would not understand the cost aspect of FOIA requests,” he mused, pointing out that Carter’s motion closely mirrors past efforts by Eppard to limit public discourse, including a failed attempt within the Republican committee to cut public speaking time at meetings to two minutes.

“Thankfully, the Board of Supervisors is slightly more generous—they allow four minutes,” Cline added with a wry nod to the ongoing trend of limiting public input.

FOIA: Friend or Foe?

For transparency advocates, Carter’s motion is a worrying sign of a government trying to have it both ways: paying lip service to transparency while subtly discouraging citizens from making use of it. "If this is how they treat FOIA users, what's next? A leaderboard for complainers at public meetings?" one local resident joked.

Despite the county’s apparent desire to frame FOIA requests as a luxury taxpayers can’t afford, the law is clear: FOIA isn’t optional. It’s a right, not a privilege, and watchdog groups like ACW seem determined to remind elected officials of that fact.

So, while Pam Carter and her colleagues fret about the perceived “cost” of public oversight, one thing is clear: the price of hiding from scrutiny could be far higher. After all, transparency isn’t expensive—it’s just really inconvenient for corrupt politicians.