Preston Trigg, Director of Administration at the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s office, is a government official on the journalist’s side. As a journalist until 1999, Trigg understands the struggles for a story and the imperative need for accessibility to public records. Because of his journalism background Trigg is very knowledgeable about how the Sunshine laws work, how to use them, and what to do if you are denied a record.
Trigg outlined the types of documents you can get at the Tax Collector’s office. Most of these records are available at hillstax.org. A reporter can research the worth of someone’s home, find out if a politician pays their taxes, or uncover someone’s driving record.
Thankfully, because of people like Trigg working in the Tax Collector’s Office these requests are processed more quickly and efficiently. In fact, the entire office is running more efficiently due to cross-training and updated technology. Something as simple as giving people a chair while they wait has improved customer morale immensely.
I learned a lot from Trigg about what to look for if you are going to pull records. He gave us a comprehensive list of the main things to ask when covering a story. Many of these requests involved the financial information of the top 10 highest paid employees in an agency. He reiterated our class motto “Follow the Money!”. One thing I did not consider before his lecture was looking at employee’s “educational expenses” because many times tax payer paid trips are considered “educational”.
Trigg inspired us to not take “no” for answer when it comes to making a “119 request”. He encouraged us to know the Sunshine Law and make the organizations cooperate. He emphasized that EVERYTHING in Florida that pertains to government agencies is a public record unless otherwise stated in one of the exemptions.
One of the exemptions includes private emails. Generally, any email sent by a government official on a government computer is considered public record. However, if the email’s content and receiver pertain to a private matter it is not public. After requesting the emails of Assistant City Manager Garry Brumback and Planning and Development Administrator John Asmar, the St. Pete Times actually sued the City of Clearwater for withholding certain “private” emails.
The best advice Trigg gave us as a retired journalist turned government official pertained to how to request a record. Even though the Sunshine law explicitly states you are not required to put your request in writing…Trigg says do it! For cases just like the St. Pete Times lawsuit, you want proof that you made the request, when you made the request, and how you made the request.
Trigg was able to thoroughly explain in detail what you would need to know as a reporter on your next visit to the Tax Collector’s office or their website. His knowledge of both worlds seem to be indispensable information on any public records based story.
Trigg outlined the types of documents you can get at the Tax Collector’s office. Most of these records are available at hillstax.org. A reporter can research the worth of someone’s home, find out if a politician pays their taxes, or uncover someone’s driving record.
Thankfully, because of people like Trigg working in the Tax Collector’s Office these requests are processed more quickly and efficiently. In fact, the entire office is running more efficiently due to cross-training and updated technology. Something as simple as giving people a chair while they wait has improved customer morale immensely.
I learned a lot from Trigg about what to look for if you are going to pull records. He gave us a comprehensive list of the main things to ask when covering a story. Many of these requests involved the financial information of the top 10 highest paid employees in an agency. He reiterated our class motto “Follow the Money!”. One thing I did not consider before his lecture was looking at employee’s “educational expenses” because many times tax payer paid trips are considered “educational”.
Trigg inspired us to not take “no” for answer when it comes to making a “119 request”. He encouraged us to know the Sunshine Law and make the organizations cooperate. He emphasized that EVERYTHING in Florida that pertains to government agencies is a public record unless otherwise stated in one of the exemptions.
One of the exemptions includes private emails. Generally, any email sent by a government official on a government computer is considered public record. However, if the email’s content and receiver pertain to a private matter it is not public. After requesting the emails of Assistant City Manager Garry Brumback and Planning and Development Administrator John Asmar, the St. Pete Times actually sued the City of Clearwater for withholding certain “private” emails.
The best advice Trigg gave us as a retired journalist turned government official pertained to how to request a record. Even though the Sunshine law explicitly states you are not required to put your request in writing…Trigg says do it! For cases just like the St. Pete Times lawsuit, you want proof that you made the request, when you made the request, and how you made the request.
Trigg was able to thoroughly explain in detail what you would need to know as a reporter on your next visit to the Tax Collector’s office or their website. His knowledge of both worlds seem to be indispensable information on any public records based story.
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