Responsibility for public records requests in the city of Stockton has shifted from the city manager’s office to the city clerk’s office. 

In California, the Public Records Act gives everyone the right to access most state and local government records to understand what their government officials are doing and hold them accountable. The public can ask government agencies for information or documents, such as budgets, correspondence between officials, business contracts, and inspection or audit reports. 

Stockton receives over 700 public records requests per year, City Clerk Katherine Roland told Stocktonia.

While the responsibility had fallen under the city manager’s office since 2010, both Roland and Councilmember Michelle Padilla agreed at a Council Legislation Committee meeting this week that the role is a natural fit for the clerk’s office.

“Every single city clerk that interviewed elaborated on how they did their public records requests and the accomplishments they made and the systems they used,” Padilla said, “so it was very evident that it is a job function that can fall under the city clerk.”

Up until recently, public records requests were sent to the city’s Public Inform Office, located within the authority of the city manager’s office, through former long-time city spokesperson Connie Cochran. Cochran retired earlier this month.

Roland appears eager to take on the role and confident in her team’s ability to manage the workload.

“I have a really good team and really good staff that’s willing to jump in and pitch in,” Roland said at the meeting.

Roland said that the process, including response timelines and public access, will remain unchanged, despite being managed by a different department.

“We are looking forward to reviewing software options that will improve efficiency and public access,” Roland told Stocktonia via email.

Roland said that transitions of this scale are rarely without challenges.

“We are currently pending the transition of staffing to the clerk’s office to support records requests, but in the meantime, we have a great team and it’s all hands on deck,” Roland told Stocktonia.

Public records requests can be submitted through the city clerk’s website or by emailing recordsrequest@stocktonca.gov.