Freedom of Information

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The Freedom of Information Act establishes a citizen's legal right to access government records and information upon request. Citizens may submit requests for City of Wixom public records under FOIA by making a request, in writing, with the appropriate FOIA Coordinator. The office of the City Clerk follows certain guidelines when responding to FOIA requests.

Statement of Principles

It is the policy of City of Wixom that all persons, except those incarcerated, consistent with the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those who represent them as public officials and employees. The people shall be informed so that they fully participate in the democratic process.

Submitting a FOIA Request

You must submit all requests for records under FOIA in writing. Requests for non-police records are handled by the Office of the City Clerk. FOIA requests for non-police department records should be sent to:  

  • Email: FOIA@wixomgov.org
  • Mail or in person: City of Wixom Clerk, 49045 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, MI 48393
  • Fax: (248) 624-0863

Police Department records, such as police reports and traffic accident reports, are handled by the Wixom Police Department. FOIA requests for police records should be sent to:

  • Email: FOIA@wixomgov.org
  • Mail or in person: Wixom Police Department, 49045 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, MI 48393
  • Fax: (248) 624-0860

FOIA Request Checklist

If you would like to submit a FOIA request, please review the following FOIA checklist to ensure a speedy and accurate response to your request.

  • Make sure you are addressing the correspondence to the correct person/department.
  • Make sure the correspondence is addressed to the Freedom of Information Act Administrator or Coordinator.
  • Advise the administrator that you are requesting documents pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, and refer to the Act as MCL 15.231 et seq.
  • Describe the record(s) requested in detail so that it can be located.
  • Describe the subject matter of the documents requested, and, if possible, the date the documents were created.

FOIA Responses

The FOIA statue allows the City 5 working days to respond to a FOIA request. An extension of an additional 10 days is allowed under the statute, including if the request requires the City of Wixom to search for, collect, examine, or review a voluminous amount of separate and distinct public records, or to collect the public records from numerous offices, facilities or establishments located apart from this office. Please note that not all documents are freely available under the FOIA statute; certain documents are not available to the public.

Costs of FOIA Responses

FOIA responses and information are freely available (within set guidelines) but they are not free to obtain; usually, you must pay for the costs of finding, processing, copying and mailing the requested material. The costs of locating and reproducing documents will vary depending on the type and number of documents requested. If the charge is expected to exceed $50, the City will notify you by letter before proceeding to fill your request. Charges for time spent on FOIA responses are based on the pay rate of the lowest paid capable FOIA responder.

Under certain circumstances, those who are indigent may request that fees for FOIA responses be waived. If you feel the FOIA fee should be waived for your request, please note that you must request this in writing at the time the FOIA request is submitted, and be prepared to provide proof of your indigent status before you receive any documents.