FOIA Request to Town of Sparta regarding vendor payment registers on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Town of Sparta by Old North News, seeking access to specific financial records under the North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. §132-1. The request, dated February 1, 2026, specifically asks for the city’s vendor payment register for the immediately preceding calendar month.
The requested records include details such as the names of vendors paid by the city, dates and amounts of payments made, and descriptions of goods or services purchased. This information is sought in electronic format if available and aims to gather data of public interest for dissemination.
The request emphasizes that it pertains only to existing records and does not require the creation of new documents. In case any part of this request is denied or withheld, Old North News has asked for a specific statutory basis for such denial along with all reasonably segregable portions of the records.
Old North News asserts its role in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency as a media organization. As such, they have requested a fee waiver due to their involvement in gathering and reporting news to the public.
The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies using FOIA laws. More information about this organization can be found at 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.
