Freedom of Information Act Request

Pursuant to the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, the City of Florence will provide copies of public records in its custody unless the records are exempt from disclosure under S.C. Code of Laws §30-4-40. All requests can be submitted through the request form below or mailed to the following address:

City of Florence
ATTN: City Manager’s Office – FOIA
324 W. Evans Street
Florence, SC 29501

Requests can also be hand-delivered or made in person at the mailing address listed above.

Upon receipt of a written FOIA request for records, the City Manager’s Office will determine if the records are available. The requestor will be notified of this determination within 10 business days for records less than two years old, or within 20 business days for records more than two years old.

If it is determined that the requested records are available and not exempt from disclosure, the records will be furnished within 30 calendar days of the determination, or within 35 calendar days if the records are more than two years old.

City of Florence Freedom of Information Act Rates

Records will be furnished at the lowest possible cost to the person requesting the records. To accomplish this, the following will be applied:

  • $0.35 per page for paper copies. 
  • Hourly charges for search, retrieval and redaction of records is based on the pro-rated hourly salary of the lowest paid employee who, has the necessary skills and training to perform the request.  Rate per hour will begin at $20. 
  • Applicant may be required to deposit 25% of the anticipated costs for the reproduction of the records prior to the City searching for or making the requested records. 
  • Fees are not charged for examination and review to determine if the documents are subject to disclosure. 
  • Copy Charges ($0.35 per page) do not apply to records that are transmitted in an electronic format. 
  • If records are not in electronic format and the City agrees to produce them in electronic format, the City may charge for the staff time required to transfer the documents to electronic format. 
  • Documents may be furnished when appropriate without charge or at a reduced charge where the City determines that waiver or reduction of the fee is in the public interest because furnishing the information can be considered as primarily benefiting the general public. 
  • The full amount of the total cost must be paid at the time of the production of the request.