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Why was I shut out?

When it comes to Right-To-Know requests, Butler County’s open records office is a complete mess.

Five months ago, commissioners hired a new chief clerk. In my opinion this new director of administration, Scott Andrejchak, is an obstructionist to taxpayers — the ones who pay his salary and who also request county public records.

I asked to inspect records pertaining to any commissioners’ plans to conduct a countywide tax reassessment of real estate property values. I asked for meeting minutes, contracts and any written communications on the subject. I wanted a glimpse of any property tax reassessment deliberations going on behind the scenes.

I had to wait 41 days to be told that I could inspect more than 100 e-mails pertaining to these tax reassessment efforts. So I requested an appointment at the Government Center to inspect the e-mail records in question. I wrote three separate e-mail requests to Andrejchak and copied them to the commissioners. I received no response.

Then I called the fifth floor about it, and one confidential assistant deliberately transferred me to a different office, confirming a rumor that whenever I, and certain others, call the fifth floor, we would receive the runaround.

After a week of repeated efforts, Andrejchak finally sent me two e-mails with 12 attachments — not the 100 e-mails promised. Most were merely comments about my e-mail request, and how Andrejchak wanted to invoke a 30-day extension. I received no e-mails of real value, except one about a cooperation agreement between the county and Butler’s Centre City project, which was off topic.

What are the commissioners hiding? Why do they suddenly refuse to provide me with the e-mails that I was told I would get?

Why is this approach necessary? To discourage the public from finding out the truth. Therefore, I was forced to file an appeal with Harrisburg’s open records office to secure the e-mails.

Why are our county commissioners operating in secrecy? The public has a right to know about private discussions by our public officials.

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