This article has been updated to include the original PA Office of Open Records order related to the right-to-know requests submitted to the Hellertown Area Library.
On October 11, 2023 Northampton County President Judge Craig Dally ordered Hellertown Area Library (HAL) to release information related to recent right to know requests made by the public. Apparently, taxpayer-funded HAL had refused to respond to residents request for information regarding the library’s finances.
The Court Order decreed that the information must be produced within 45 days. This is a library that depends on taxpayer funds, so the refusal to provide information begs the question: what, if anything, is HAL hiding?
Here is Judge Dally's order in its entirety:
Prior to this most recent ruling, the PA Office of Open Records had made multiple legal rulings regarding at least four right-to-know-requests directed to HAL by private citizens. Each time, the PA OOR ruled that HAL is a governmental entity subject to the control of Hellertown Borough, and therefore was required to turn over communications and financial information sought by these requests from taxpayers.
The ruling by the PA Office of Open Records can be read in its entirety here - https://www.openrecords.pa.gov/Appeals/DocketGetFile.cfm?id=110569.
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