The Gazette: Public records laws exist so that people — not just elected officials or government agencies — can hold those in power accountable. As a member of the RTD Board of Directors, I take that responsibility seriously, which is why I wrote a resolution to expand access to public records, particularly for independent journalists, bloggers, and community news outlets that often lack the resources of major media organizations.

A recent editorial in The Gazette, “Another agency obstructs the public’s right to know,” mischaracterized this resolution as a barrier to transparency. In reality, it does the opposite. It creates the most open public records policy in Colorado, making it easier for independent journalists and members of the public to obtain government records.

Under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), agencies can charge fees to fulfill document requests. While major media organizations might be able to absorb these costs, independent journalists and small community news outlets often cannot. RTD already charges a reduced rate of $30 per hour for records requests, well below the $41.37 per hour allowed under state law, making it one of the more affordable agencies for public records access.

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