Stafford Town Hall “Inundated” with FOIA Requests
- Feb 4
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 17
Stafford is seeing a rise in the number of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests it receives, according to First Selectman Bill Morrison. Stafford isn’t alone, and the phenomenon isn’t entirely new. “Agencies received a record 1.5 million Freedom of Information Act requests in fiscal 2024. That’s according to the Justice Department Office of Information Policy’s latest summary of federal FOIA data,” according to the Federal News Network. Keep in mind that’s just at the Federal level.
At the February 4, 2026, Board of Selectmen meeting, Morrison described Town Hall as being “inundated” with FOIA requests, though he did not specify a number. From his description, it sounds as if the requests are often far-reaching and not very specific. He suggested that it was often hard to understand what people were looking for and that if they came to his office, described the information they were seeking, and what they hoped to learn, staff might be able to fulfill their requests more efficiently.
“The increasing complexity of Freedom of Information Act requests, shortages of employees to handle such requests and lack of communication between agencies when requests cross agency lines all have contributed to the growing backlog of FOIA requests in recent years,” according to FEDweek. It seems that Stafford isn’t immune to the trends being seen at much higher levels. Morrison described the new influx of requests as “time-consuming and costly,” saying they can sometimes take days to fulfill. Selectman Tim Cromwell described information seekers who file new requests as soon as they receive answers to their first inquiries.
Morrison said that in discussions with other towns, he has found that the increase in FOIA requests is the norm. The data seems to confirm that even in much larger municipalities, in completely different parts of the country, they are seeing a similar increase in requests. The Lansing City Pulses reported at the end of 2025: “[Chief Deputy Clerk Sarah Alanis] said she’s seen an increase in requests over the last few years. In 2023, she received 640 requests, 740 in 2024, and 860 requests so far in 2025.”
Update: A deeper dive
After this article went live, it sparked significant controversy in comment sections across Facebook. At first, the comments were mostly a debate between “So what, it’s their job to answer these requests” and “Stop using FOIA to harass employees,” but then commenters started suggesting that the town’s claims that the number of requests has increased may not be based in reality. While the main goal of Stafford Free Press is typically to report on what’s happening at public meetings, this seemed like one of the times follow up would be useful. So, I headed down to Town Hall to view the recent FOIA requests, which are part of the public record.
Before we dive into the recent requests, let’s talk a bit about Connecticut’s FOIA laws. There are three major points to be aware of as we move through this discussion:
According to the State of Connecticut: “Except as otherwise provided by any federal law or state statute, all records maintained or kept on file by any public agency, whether or not such records are required by any law or by any rule or regulation, shall be public records and every person shall have the right to (1) inspect such records promptly during regular office or business hours, (2) copy such records in accordance with subsection (g) of section 1-212, or (3) receive a copy of such records in accordance with section 1-212.”
There are also many exceptions to this rule, including “Records pertaining to strategy and negotiations with respect to pending claims or pending litigation to which the public agency is a party until such litigation or claim has been finally adjudicated or otherwise settled.”
Additionally, FOIA.gov says, “A FOIA request can be made for any agency record. You can also specify the format in which you wish to receive the records (for example, printed or electronic form). The FOIA does not require agencies to create new records or to conduct research, analyze data, or answer questions when responding to requests.”
During my visit to Town Hall, William Morrison, First Selectman, and Beth DaDalt, Executive Assistant to the First Selectman, said they have seen an increase in requests since the 2025 election. In years past, DaDalt – who has served in her current position since 1998 – says she typically sees a few FOIA requests per year. While information requests from other towns are commonplace, according to DaDalt, requests from citizens have become more frequent.
The increase in official requests may be due to a new policy. According to Morrison, he learned that some individuals were regularly visiting town offices, sometimes for hours, seeking information through unofficial channels. Given the amount of staff time this was consuming, Morrison instituted a new policy requiring all information requests to go through the First Selectman’s office. With a more official process in place, FOIA requests have increased.
Morrison again reiterated to me that he believes people should have access to the information they want, but that they are frequently not satisfied with what they receive. More specificity in official requests would help the Town Hall better answer those questions and save time.
While I was at Town Hall, I reviewed six files representing requests from six individuals, mostly submitted since the November 2025 election.
In one case, a rather large request was made and filled, resulting in a file more than an inch thick, then canceled and never picked up. Multiple individuals requested information about bids on town projects, including the paving of Hampden Road, the Furnace Avenue reconstruction project, and the 2021 WPCA Sewer Mains CIPP Project. Another was interested in employment applications for candidates for the Department of Public Works. One, however, was far more extensive and stood out as an example of wide-ranging requests that led to unhappy customers. This request asked for nine separate pieces of information listed below:
Organizational Chart: The town’s organizational chart, including the structure of individual departments, if available.
PermitLink Service Contract: A complete copy of the current PermitLink service contract.
Shared Services Agreements: Any agreements, arrangements, or Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Windham, Ellington, Somers, Willington, Union, and Tolland, including positions impacted, job descriptions, salaries, reimbursements, relevant budget line items, duties, and qualifications.
Inspections Data: Records of all inspections conducted by the Building Official and Fire Marshal within the last 12 months, including initiation dates, inspection dates, and closure dates.
Animal Control Department: Documentation outlining departmental structure, positions, salaries, and expenses for the past four years.
Employee Licenses and Certifications: Current licenses and certifications held by Glenn Setzler, Mark Morrison, and Andrew Marchese.
Town Vehicles: A list of all Town-owned vehicles, including VIN numbers and assigned departments or individuals.
Evergreen Lane Paving Project: Detailed information regarding the paving project on Evergreen Lane, including associated expenses.
ADA Compliance of the Town Hall: Copies of any letters, reports, or agreements regarding ADA compliance, including documentation of meetings held in noncompliant areas and any filings made with the U.S. Attorney General’s Office.
Based on follow-up requests, it was clear that Marnie Hofmann, who filed the request, was unsatisfied with the information received; it was unclear as to what was left out. This reporter reached out for clarification. Hofmann responded that she made an informal request for organizational charts and town vehicle information. After being asked to submit FOIA requests, she included more questions on behalf of other residents.
Hofmann's concerns about the response centered mostly on requests #2 and #9. PermitLink info is available online, but in its attempts to satisfy the request, the Town struggled to meaningfully sort its data, instead printing out the entire database. “When I say they printed out the entire database, I mean I received exactly what you see on your computer screen – location, permit number, permit type, status printed out on many pages,” Hofmann stated. While she contends that it should be possible to pull the data differently, federal FOIA regulations state that "FOIA does not require agencies to create new records or to conduct research, analyze data…”
In response to Hofmann’s original FOIA request regarding ADA Compliance of the town hall, the Town sent a message stating, “The Town of Stafford is in the process of finalizing an agreement with the Department of Justice regarding ADA compliance issues pertaining to the Warren Memorial Town Hall. Once a final agreement is reached between the Town of Stafford and the Department of Justice, a copy of such agreement will be forwarded to you as soon as possible following execution of the document.”
Hofmann then followed up by formally requesting verification from the town that there are “no restrictions on holding meetings in the upper levels of Town Hall." The request included, “Please provide written confirmation that there are no legal, structural, or administrative restrictions currently in place regarding public use of the Town Hall, specifically including the upper floors. This inquiry is to ensure that town operations remain in full compliance with the regulatory standards disclosed in the FOI response.” DaDalt’s response stated that the Town does not schedule public meetings in the upper levels of Town Hall and only schedules them in the Veterans Meeting Room on the first floor. These days, most meetings have been moved to Staffordville School or the Community Center to accommodate larger crowds.
When Stafford Free Press questioned Hofmann about why these answers were not satisfactory, she wrote, “It is my understanding that there are documents, including emails with the Attorney General, stating that the upstairs of the town hall cannot be used.” The original written request and follow-up did not specifically ask for copies of emails between the town and the Attorney General. In addition, FOIA regulations exempt “Records pertaining to strategy and negotiations with respect to pending claims or pending litigation to which the public agency is a party until such litigation or claim has been finally adjudicated or otherwise settled.”
Past concerns
Hofmann also recently posted copies of a 2001 complaint on social media, in which Allen Bacchiochi said that DaDalt (then known as Beth Corbett) had not fulfilled his FOIA request in a timely manner. According to the complaint, he asked for a copy of all town ordinances on Dec. 19, 2001. FOIA regulations typically require a response within 4 business days, but they allow for communication about delays.
By January 8, 2002, Bacchiochi had lodged a complaint. When I asked DaDalt about this, she showed me the book of ordinances, which at that time existed only in print. While the binder may have changed some since then, you can get a sense of its sheer size in the picture below.
DaDalt shared that copying the ordinances at that time required removing each page from a sleeve and copying it individually, using older copier technology from 24 years ago. As a result, filling the request would take far longer than it would today. And it’s worth noting that the request was made right before the Christmas holiday.
