The Elmira City Council met on Monday evening, and one agenda item drew in quite the crowd.
The proposal would have adopted a policy for the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) process, listing the names of anyone who makes a FOIL request on the city’s website.
Councilman Gary Brinn brought the resolution, saying it would keep what he called weaponized tools of open government from wasting taxpayer money. It came off the agenda once the council was told that New York allows anonymous FOIL requests. Publishing the names of FOIL requesters does nothing to speed up a response. It tells everyone in town who asked.
Read the full story: Elmira City Council FOIL resolution draws community backlash — WENY, June 29, 2026.
What the law requires of a city: New York’s Freedom of Information Law.
