Freedom of Information
The fundamental purpose of the freedom of information process (FOI)
is accountability to the public. The spirit is to create an open and
accountable government by providing as much information as possible to
the public, while ensuring that their personal privacy is protected.
The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) is a piece of legislation that gives individuals the right to
request access to information, including most general records and
records containing their own personal maintained by the Township of Essa.
The Act also provides for the protection of personal information that
has been collected by the municipality. The Act is based on the
principles that:
- Information should be made available to the public;
- Individuals should have access to their own personal information;
- Exceptions to access should be limited and specific;
- The privacy of individuals with respect to the personal
information the municipality collects and maintains shall be protected;
and
- Decisions on access to government information may be appealed to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC/O).
Under the Legislation, the ‘Head’ of the Corporation is responsible
for decisions made under the Act. For the Township of Essa, the Clerk
has been delegated the responsibilities and powers of performing the duties
as the ‘Head’ within the meaning of the legislation.
If you
would like to make a request for records which fall under MFIPPA, it is required
that you complete and submit a Freedom of Information Request Form with the application fee.
You will be notified of additional charges accumulated upon completion of the
request. A breakdown of the FOI request and additional charges can be found in
our Schedule of Fees.
Some
records or parts of a record may not be publicly accessed based on requirements
set out by MFIPPA. These guidelines are in place to protect the rights of
another person or organization. If we are not able to disclose a record, you
will be informed accordingly based on the exemption that the Clerk is applying
to the record(s).
For further information regarding FOI, please visit the following websites:
The Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario www.ipc.on.ca
