FOIA Request to Town of Canton regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
A request for public records has been submitted to the Town of Canton by Old North News, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request was made under the North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. §132-1, seeking access to procurement bids and responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) received by the city during the immediately preceding calendar month.
The specific records requested include details such as solicitation or project titles, names of bidders or proposers, submission dates, bid amounts or proposed costs, and descriptions of the goods or services proposed. This request aims to gather information of public interest for dissemination to the public and is limited to existing records without necessitating the creation of new documents.
Old North News has expressed a preference for receiving these records in electronic format. Additionally, if any part of this request is denied or withheld, they have asked for a specific statutory basis for such denial along with all reasonably segregable portions of the records.
As members of The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy—a non-profit organization assisting media companies in investigating governmental agencies—Old North News has also requested a fee waiver based on their role in gathering and reporting news to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency.
We look forward to receiving this information in an electronic format as it will greatly aid in our reporting efforts. As always, we remain open for any questions or clarifications regarding this request.
