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Public Records

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Public Records Requests

In the State of Ohio, public records are defined by the Ohio Public Records Act as any records – paper, electronic, or other format – kept by a public office that documents the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the office. Ohio law is based on the principle of transparency, meaning that public records are presumed to be open and available to the public unless they are exempt by law, or certain information may be exempt and redacted on a record.

YOUR RIGHT TO ACCESS

Residents have a legal right to request access to public records. Public offices are required to provide requested records within a reasonable period of time, which is determined by the complexity of the request, the volume of responsive documents, and the availability of the specific record(s). The Ohio Public Records Act does not require the City to create new information, compile data, do legal research, or provide records in a format other than what currently exists.

TRAFFIC CRASH REPORTS

Public roadway Traffic Crash Reports may be obtained online at no charge through the Ohio Department of Public Safety at https://ohtrafficdata.dps.ohio.gov/crashretrieval.

Private property Traffic Crash Reports are not available through the Ohio Department of Public Safety. These reports must be obtained directly from the Records Division of the Trotwood Police Department.

REQUESTS AND FEES

Please click here to view the City’s Public Records Policy as approved by the Trotwood City Council. Any fees subsequently adopted by City Council shall supersede those currently listed in this policy.

The Clerk of Council (“Clerk”) serves as the official Public Records Custodian for all records centrally maintained by the City. With the exception of the Fire and Rescue Department, Human Resources Department, and Police Department, requests for public records must be directed to the Clerk.

Requests are accommodated during regular business hours, excluding weekends and legal holidays, and may be made in person during business hours, by e-mail, or by phone to the following departments:

The following Record Retention Schedules (RC-2) have been formally approved by the City of Trotwood Records Commission, the Ohio History Connection – State Archives, and the Auditor of State.

For general information or questions about the City’s Public Records Policy, please contact the Clerk at 937-854-7212 or by e-mail to [email protected].