Sunshine Week: Filing open records requests for Cobb County government

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All citizens—and not just journalists—have the right to obtain public information about their federal, state and local governments. In Cobb, the county government has several designated custodians of public records to handle those requests. Cobb County Government logo

Local authorities in the state are subject to provisions of the Georgia Open Records Act.

The county has set up the Cobb Government Open Records Center as a portal to introduce the public about its process.

Open records cover most of the workings of government: commissioners’ decisions, including zoning; contracts; personnel records; public safety incidents; court records; voter registration and elections information; tax information; permits and licenses and more.

Most Cobb government public records requests are handled by the Cobb County Attorney’s Office, which is the custodian of public records for 22 county government agencies and offices:

  • Animal Control; Board of Commissioners; Communications; Community Development; County Attorney; County Clerk; County Manager; Department of Public Safety (including Internal Affairs); Economic Development; Emergency Management Agency; Finance; Human Resources; Information Services; Internal Audit; Libraries; Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs; Property Management; Purchasing; Senior Services; Storm Water Management; Department of Transportation; Water System.

The easiest way to obtain information is online, though you’ll be asked to establish an account the first time you use the electronic system.

To submit an open records request in writing for the offices above, contact:

Cobb County Attorney Deborah Dance
100 Cherokee Street
Marietta, GA 30090
770-528-4000

Several other departments and agencies have their own public records custodians, and they also respond to online requests at the above link. Here are the mailing and e-mail addresses for obtaining information in writing:

Cobb Voter Registration and Elections
Janine Eveler
736 Whitlock Ave, Suite 400
Marietta, GA 30064
770-528-2581
info@cobbelections.org

Cobb Emergency Communications (911)
Records Custodian
140 N. Marietta Pkwy
Marietta, GA 30060
770-499-4106
911openrecords@cobbcounty.org

Cobb Fire and EMS Records
Ellen Black
1595 County Services Pkwy
Marietta, GA 30008
770-528-8000
ellen.black@cobbcounty.org

Cobb Police Department 
(Incident and Accident Reports, Alcohol Permits, Dash and Body Cam Videos)
Lt. Leo Scherer
140 N Marietta Pkwy
Marietta, GA 30060
770-499-3900
policeopenrecordsofficer@cobbcounty.org
Also: Cobb County Crash Reports

Cobb County Sheriff
Robin Clements
Open Records Custodian
Administrative Division
770-499-4728
robin.clements@cobbcounty.org

Cobb Tax Assessor
Stephen White
736 Whitlock Ave
Marietta, GA 30064
770-528-3100
stephen.white@cobbcounty.org

Cobb Tax Commissioner
Carla Jackson
736 Whitlock Ave
Marietta, GA 30064
770-528-8600
tax@cobbtax.org

In addition, the Cobb State Court Clerk’s Office and Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s Office keep civil and criminal court records, as well as marriage certificates, deed information, real estate transactions and more.

Public records custodians in Georgia have three working days to reply to requests that are subject to the Georgia Open Records Act.

This means that they must notify you by that time of the status of your request, whether it’s approved or denied, and if it’s the former, how much time it may require to provide the information, and what the cost may be.

In many cases there is no charge for documents and records, but fees can be charged for requests that involve some time for custodians to retrieve, research and prepare records.

According to the Cobb Open Records Center, fees that are charged “are based on the hourly rate of the lowest paid employee, minus the first 15 minutes.”

The county also keeps a searchable archive of open records requests that have been made.

The Georgia Open Records Act is part of a broader set of statutes called “Sunshine Laws” that include the provisions for open meetings.

The Georgia First Amendment Foundation has published a guide to Georgia’s Sunshine Laws, which has further resources on open government.

Later in the week East Cobb News will post similar information about obtaining public records from public schools and state and federal government agencies.

It’s all part of Sunshine Week, which is being observed this week by news organizations and open-government advocates.

Through Saturday, East Cobb News invites you to send your questions about how to get public information. E-mail: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll get some answers for you.

General resources

Sunshine Week

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2 thoughts on “Sunshine Week: Filing open records requests for Cobb County government”

  1. This isn’t the case with the Cobb County Sheriffs office at all. I requested a copy of the budget and was told they don’t have one. No seriously, I have that in writing. I asked for a listing of badge holders and again I was told they don’t have one though the likes of local attorneys and even Hershel walker appear to have been given a badge by the sheriff. The sheriff also refuses to disclose where his office banks. He owns shares in numerous banks and directors one outright. I find it to be a flat lie that they can’t produce a budget. A list of badge holders, a budget or know where they bank with the largest chunk of our county tax dollars. I’d love for the news to attempt to get these things and you’ll quickly see what I mean. There’s a stench coming from Sheriff Neil Warrens Office…the stench of corruption.

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