Mayor, Unanimous City Council Against City Attorney’s Efforts to Undermine State’s Public Records Law

Ry Rivard and Andrew Keatts / Voice of San Diego / March 11, 2019 

Update: On Tuesday Sen. Ben Hueso announced he was pulling SB 615 from consideration by the Legislature.

City Attorney Mara Elliott went out on a limb to change the state’s Public Records Act, an effort Mayor Kevin Faulconer believes conflicts with his efforts to create a more transparent city government.

Now other elected leaders in the city are pushing back, too – aggressively. The City Council voted unanimously Monday to oppose what they said was an attempt to undermine the state’s public records law. Last week, Faulconer himself made clear to Voice of San Diego that he did not support Elliott’s effort.

Before the vote, multiple Council members chastised Elliott for pursuing the legislation without telling them beforehand. The Council added language to the city’s official priorities before the state and federal governments opposing a bill sponsored by Elliott and being carried by state Sen. Ben Hueso.

In recent days, Elliott has backed a proposal to take the teeth out of California’s open records laws, citing an increase in the number of requests by people for taxpayer-funded city documents and the liability the city faces if officials break the law by failing to turn over public records.

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