Look out, my fellow tenacious reporters and grizzled editors — we think there may be a person on council that’s after all of our hearts. Last week, City Council member Kenya Gibson proposed creating a centralized online FOIA library — a place where every document released to a resident or reporter would be publicly available at no extra cost. 

“Our government should be transparent, participatory, and accessible to all of us, not just the powerful few,” Gibson wrote in a news release. “This means everyone from journalists to public employees to everyday residents should be able to ask hard questions of city officials and get clear answers.” 

You had us at “transparent,” council member. 

It’s a bold idea, and it comes after the previous administration’s apparent preference for keeping information locked down. In March 2024, the city’s former FOIA officer, Connie Clay, filed a $250,000 whistleblower lawsuit against her former employer. She alleges, among other things, that requests for information were routinely delayed, denied, ignored or laden with steep fees. 

Any reporter who attempted to cover the city is likely familiar with stalled requests for reports, schedules or other records that should have been public. Delays, denials and hidden documents frustrate journalists and citizens alike, leaving residents in the dark about decisions that affect our neighborhoods, taxes and services. 

This is not the way to do the public’s business. We’re hopeful that the current administration has learned from its predecessors’ mistakes. 

Gibson isn’t so sure. While her proposal awaits a review by the Governmental Operations Standing Committee, she states that City Hall is already “pushing back,” and mentions the recent purchase of software that allows easy redaction of FOI requests. 

“Decades of corruption and untransparent decision making have led Richmonders to distrust city officials, electeds and public services. We must restore this trust,” she stated. 

We agree, City Hall can’t keep playing peek-a-boo with public records. Richmonders are watching, reporters are watching, and the law is watching. A FOIA library might sound like a small change to some, but it’s really a test: Can the city run itself in the light or keep stumbling in the shadows?