The South Carolina Code of Laws 1976, As Amended, Section 30-4-15 states 'The General Assembly finds that it is vital in a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and public manner so that citizens shall be advised of the performance of public officials and of the decisions that are reached in public activity and in the formulation of public policy.'
Florence County strives to comply with the
South Carolina Freedom of Information Act
, and its amendment which became effective on Friday, May 19, 2017 and will attempt to provide public access to public records in its possession as expeditiously as possible.
Pursuant to Section 30-4-30(c), a response to a written FOIA request must be made within 10 business days after receipt of the written request if the documents requested are two years old or less and the documents have to be produced no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the response date. If the documents requested are more than two years old, the response time is 20 days, and the documents must be produced no later than thirty-five (35) calendar days from the response date.
Florence County adheres to its established
Freedom of Information Act Policy
and all amendments. Requests for information may be made by letter or by using the
County's Freedom of Information Act Request Form
.
In order to obtain information and ensure a prompt response, you must provide a reasonable description of the public records/documents you are seeking. Florence County has established
reimbursement rates
based on the type of information being requested.
Written requests should be forwarded to:
Florence County Administrator
Attn: FOIA Designee
180 N. Irby St., MSC - G
Florence, SC 29501
Fax: 843.665.3070
SC Code of Laws 1976, As Amended, Section 30-2-50 prohibits a person or private entity from knowingly obtaining personal information from a local government or other political subdivision for commercial purposes. Violators are guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction are subject to a $500 fine and/or jail time up to one year.
Should you have any questions, contact the Office of the County Administrator at 843.665.3035.