The city of Muncie today says it will always be transparent to its citizens.  The announcement came after Muncie denied public records requests from the local newspaper.  But, as IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, city officials still declined to release any information to the paper.

On Monday, the Star Press newspaper published an article saying Muncie city officials denied Freedom of Information Act requests relating to a lawsuit by former police chief Steve Stewart.  The newspaper wanted to know about arrangements and payments to have Indianapolis law firm Ice Miller represent the city and the mayor in that case.  On Friday, in a statement that lasted less than a minute, Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler called that newspaper article “inaccurate.”

“We apologize for the internal miscommunication created earlier this week.  However, the city’s refusal to release information is inaccurate.  The city has always and will always be transparent to its citizens providing any public information when it’s requested.”

Tyler did not answer any questions, but John Quirk, a city attorney, did.  He says The Star Press already had some of what it requested and the rest was privileged information.

John Quirk (Photo: Stephanie Wiechmann)

Stephanie Wiechmann: “They requested a few things and, in the article, they said all of them were denied because of attorney-client privilege.  Then the mayor said that everything – that that was a miscommunication and it was incorrect.  So, was any actual information then sent to the Star Press?”

 John Quirk: “My understanding is they’ve received the information they requested and, in fact, it’s in their article.  And the third thing they asked for, there is – uh, ‘amount promised to be paid by the city.’  There is – that’s not how attorney fees work.”

Quirk’s argument echoed one made in a letter to the newspaper by city personnel director Sarah Beach when Muncie denied the FOIA request.

After the press conference, the Star Press confirmed that despite Tyler calling the denial of the FOIA request ”inaccurate”, the paper still has received nothing it asked for in that request as of Friday afternoon.