FOIA Request to Chowan County regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted by Old North News to Chowan County, North Carolina, seeking access to records related to procurement bids and responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) received by the county during the preceding calendar month. The request was made under the North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. ยง132-1., with a preference for receiving the information in electronic format.
The requested records include several specific details: the solicitation or project title, names of bidders or proposers, submission dates, bid amounts or proposed costs, and descriptions of the goods or services proposed. The purpose of this request is to gather information of public interest for dissemination to the public. It is emphasized that this request is limited to existing records and does not require the creation of new documents.
Old North News has also requested that if any portion of this request is denied or withheld, Chowan County should provide the specific statutory basis for such denial and release all reasonably segregable portions of the records. The media organization has expressed willingness to receive these records electronically if available.
As part of their professional responsibilities in gathering and reporting news, Old North News seeks a fee waiver based on their role as a media outlet committed to holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency. This request is supported by their affiliation with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to investigating governmental agencies using Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws.
Chowan County is located in North Carolina and serves as an important jurisdiction for educational matters. In recent statistics from 2022-23, only 13% of senior students taking the science portion of the ACT in Chowan County school districts were considered ready for college.
Our team will continue to keep you updated as we gather and report news related to this request and other matters of public interest. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification regarding this matter.
