FOIA Request to Town of Columbus regarding employee overtime records on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted by Old North News to the Town of Columbus, North Carolina, seeking access to specific public records. The request was made under the North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. §132-1., and aims to obtain employee overtime records for the immediately preceding calendar month.
The request specifically asks for details including the name and job title of employees, their department or office, dates and number of overtime hours worked, and the compensation paid for such overtime. The purpose of this request is to gather information that holds public interest and disseminate it to the public. The request emphasizes that it seeks existing records only and does not require the creation of new documents.
Old North News has requested these records in electronic format if available. In case 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 media, they have also requested a fee waiver due to their role in gathering and reporting news to hold public institutions accountable.
The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that aids media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. More information about this organization can be found on their website: https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.
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.
