does anyone here know alot about the Act and the Law?

 

My question, as a business owner, do I have the ability to contact say a School District in Florida and request information pertaining to a particular contract they entered into with a competitor of mine, or do I need to actually live in the boundaries of this School District?

does anyone here know alot about the Act and the Law?

 

My question, as a business owner, do I have the ability to contact say a School District in Florida and request information pertaining to a particular contract they entered into with a competitor of mine, or do I need to actually live in the boundaries of this School District?

 

The FoI Act is federal, this sounds like a local matter.

 

Usually they have to disclose terms of any contracts they enter into. Have you asked the District directly? What did they tell you? The deliberations can occur in closed door meetings, but bids are usually unsealed in a public meeting and the results announced.

I'm pretty sure you can ask whatever the hell you want (the worst that happens is they say no), that type of thing is publicly available information and it doesn't matter who knows.

 

edit: also this doesn't involve the feds which if I'm not mistaken is who the FOIA applies to.

Edited January 5, 200917 yr by lostfan

does anyone here know alot about the Act and the Law?

 

My question, as a business owner, do I have the ability to contact say a School District in Florida and request information pertaining to a particular contract they entered into with a competitor of mine, or do I need to actually live in the boundaries of this School District?

 

No you do not need to live there. Go to the website for the municipality, possibly even the state, and download the FOIL request form. By law they will have to respond in a specified number of days. If this isn't working, call the municipality or school district and ask where the form can be found. Forms can usually be faxed.

 

I do this all the time in NY.