World Journal: When the Town of Aguilar agreed to pay former clerk Tyra Avila $20,000 in a settlement last summer, the public had no idea. That changed this week—after the World Journal paid nearly $90 to obtain the documents taxpayers already own.

The charge came after a Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) request for two settlement agreements involving former employees, including Avila. Under CORA, public entities are supposed to make records available within three working days—and give an upfront estimate of costs prior to doing any work. 

Per C.R.S. § 24-72-205(6)(a): “Before performing any research and retrieval of public records, the custodian shall notify the requester of the amount of the fee.”

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