County Revenue Authority Releases Documents

Just 24 hours after related to an upcoming board meeting, Revenue Authority officials said they will make the records available.

William "Lynnie" Cook, chief executive of the authority, said Thursday morning that the packet was withheld in conjunction with an expected discussion about what documents are public record and when the law allows for their release.

A few hours later Cook called back to say an attorney for the authority had approved the release of the packet with the exception of two memos—one of which may contain a legal opinion from the agency's attorney regarding the public records question.

Both memos are related to issues the board expects to take up in closed session, Cook said. He declined to elaborate on the issues.

Don Hutchinson, chairman of the authority's five-member board, requested the authority's attorney look into the public records question last month, Cook said.

Cook declined to say what had precipitated the request.

"There's always a reason for something," Cook said. "I'm not going to get into it."