"They deleted it, so it is gone."
Records are destroyed on a published schedule, not at will. If a record was destroyed early, that is a Chapter 44 problem and the State Archives wants to hear about it.
Public records in Clearwater
Almost everything your municipality writes down belongs to you. Here is what that means in practice, without the jargon.
The short version
01
You do not have to explain why
Under Chapter 42 you may request a record without giving a reason and without saying who you are. A clerk who asks why is mistaken, and usually just curious rather than obstructive.
02
Five business days
The municipality must respond within five business days. It may extend once, by ten, and must tell you it is doing so and why.
03
A response is not always the record
A lawful response can be the record, a fee estimate, a partial release with redactions, or a denial citing an exemption. All four start the clock again in different ways.
04
Some things are exempt
Personnel files, active investigations, attorney advice, and personal identifying details are withheld or redacted. The municipality must tell you which exemption it is using.
Three things people get wrong
"The clerk decides."
The clerk applies the schedule and the exemptions. They did not write either one, and in most Clearwater towns they are the only person in the building who has read them.
"It should be free."
Inspection is free. Copies, staff time beyond the first hour, and large electronic extractions can be charged. You must be given an estimate before the work starts.
Not sure which office holds what you need?
Search all 188 municipalities by name and get the records officer, their title and their phone number.
More on requesting records
What you can be charged
A fee is allowed; a fee used to make you go away is not. What is chargeable, what is not, and what to do about an estimate that looks wrong.
If your request is refused
What a lawful denial looks like, why silence is not a denial, and the steps available to you.
What a municipal clerk does
If you have been told to “ask the clerk”, this explains why — and what the clerk is not responsible for.