Las Cruces city councilors have decided against pursuing a change in state law that would have resulted in higher fees for public access to government records.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports the 5-2 vote came Tuesday during the council's meeting.
City staffers were seeking permission to push the state Legislature for a change that would allow Las Cruces to charge — up to $100 per request — for time spent for fulfilling record requests under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act.
Officials say Las Cruces has seen a four-fold increase in requests for public records in just three years.
City Manager Stuart Ed says the city is taking steps to become more open-records friendly, such as posting more data online so fewer requests are needed.
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Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News.
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