supporting citizens
Empowering transparency
Providing support and assistance for citizens and investigative journalists working for government transparency and accountability in florida
Government Accountability
The Florida Center for Government Accountability gives citizens the necessary tools and information to engage government officials more effectively by helping them better understand what is happening in their local communities and the effect big money has on local politics.
Traditional news outlets, particularly at the local level, face pressures never before seen and are increasingly unable to meet the informational needs of the public due to limited and dwindling resources.
Citizen Support
Citizens are encouraged to contact the Florida Center for Government Accountability with concerns and issues regarding government accountability and transparency. When FLCGA receives a “tip” and it’s determined that there’s merit in pursuing the issue, FLCGA will help draft public record requests, analyze agency responses to those requests, and, if necessary, litigate violations of the law on behalf of citizen requestors.
FREE GUIDANCE & SUPPORT
All of the services provided by the Florida Center for Government Accountability are free of charge. The FLCGA answers questions regarding Florida’s open government laws and makes public record requests on behalf of citizens and journalists at no charge. Our experts monitor responses to all requests made and, when necessary, litigate open government violations in order to enforce compliance with the law.
Investigative Journalism
The Florida Center for Government Accountability provides guidance and assistance to any journalist seeking access to government information in Florida. The goal of FLCGA is to both facilitate and accelerate local on-the-ground reporting with critically-needed tools, expertise and knowledge using aggressive public records investigation and well-sourced quality reporting.
FACILITATING AGGRESSIVE PUBLIC RECORDS INVESTIGATION AND WELL-SOURCED QUALITY REPORTING
Florida has the most progressive open government laws in the nation, yet citizen and media demands for public records too frequently result in questionable agency-imposed rules and restrictions and unlawful delays and denials. Also, the lack of accessibility of accurate reporting and over accessibility of inaccurate and biased information on or through the internet and social media more often results in misinformation, rather than accurate and well-researched facts. Citizens need access to reliable, fact-based, non-partisan information in order to hold government accountable.