Man awarded $75K after pension fund public records request (http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/Man-awarded-75K-after-pension-fund-public-records/Y5jm1aRjbkGtHgIFfS8z-Q.cspx)
Lee is a retired attorney with an interest in pensions. In 2009, he placed a public records request with Executive Director and Fund Administrator John Keane to see how the fund was managed.
"There was a table with a bunch of documents on it, but Mr. Keane told me I couldn't look at them unless I paid $326.40. I was just flabbergasted."
Lee sued, alleging the cost was inflated to discourage him. Four years and multiple appeals later, a judge has now awarded him more than $75,000 to cover the majority of his attorneys' fees. That cost will be paid for by the fund, which is supported mainly by tax dollars, and that's not the only price you're paying.
Action News has learned an additional $300,000 was spent by the Police and Firefighter Pension Fund on its own attorneys to defend the case.
More detailed article behind TU paywall (http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-05-13/story/judge-orders-pension-fund-pay-citizens-legal-fees-dispute-over-public)
Congratulations to Lee.
Palms Fish Camp- Someone will be getting a million bucks and you never even opened the door.
How about all the Springfielders and the demos?
it is our taxpayer money that is paying for all of this at the expense of the citizens that are supposed to be represented.
The title of the article is a bit misleading. Mr Lee was not personally awarded the $75K, but as is allowed for under the law, his attorney fees were paid. Sunshine violations are pretty common with Jacksonville. Mostly they seem to be simply acknowledged and the attorney fees paid without fan fair, but most council members, higher level city employees and the Mayor's office do not like those sunshine laws and often do their best to ignore them. The only thing the public can do to protect itself is to file those lawsuits.
So, Mr. Keane, this is not the fault of Mr. Lee, it is your fault for trying to ignore the law. It is just unfortunate that when the city leadership or employees choose to ignore those laws, it is the taxpayers who end up paying the bill not them personally. Maybe if there was a way to have made the then Chief of MCCD pay the attorney fees out of her own pocket when she chose to ignore one of my public records requests, city employees would be less likely to do it again. Instead, the mayor's office seems to promote that type of behavior.