FOIA Request to Clay County regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
On February 1, 2026, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Clay County by Nantahala News. The request seeks access to records concerning procurement bids and responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) received by the county during the immediately preceding calendar month. The request is made under the North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. §132-1., with a preference for receiving the information in electronic format.
The requested records include details such as solicitation or project titles, names of bidders or proposers, submission dates, bid amounts or proposed costs, and descriptions of the goods or services proposed. This request aims to gather information of public interest for dissemination purposes and does not require the creation of new documents.
Nantahala News emphasizes its role in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. As a member of the media involved in gathering and reporting news, they have requested a fee waiver for accessing these records. Additionally, they are affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA requests.
Of note within Clay County’s educational sector is that out of 83 senior students taking the science portion of the ACT in local school districts, only 20 students (24.1%) were considered ready for college in the 2022-23 school year.
We look forward to receiving this information in an electronic format as it will greatly aid in our reporting efforts. As always, we remain open for any questions or clarifications regarding this request.
