The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) provides individuals with two rights:

• access to certain records under the custody and control of the Township; and
• protection of personal information.  

How to Access our Records

Many of the Town's records are available without making a formal request for information. Some records can be found on this website, or are available by contacting the Municipal Office.

Submitting a Formal Request

If a formal request is necessary, please complete a Freedom of Information Request form and return it to the Municipal Office with a $5 application fee. Be sure to include as many details and be as specific as possible about the information you would like to obtain. 

Freedom of Information Coordinator

Kerry Costello, Clerk
77 Beckwith Street North
P.O. Box 695
Smiths Falls, ON K7A 2B8
kcostello@smithsfalls.ca

Hard copy forms are available at the Municipal Office.

Process

The FOI Coordinator will respond to your request within 30 calendar days upon receipt of the completed FOI Request form and fee. In the response, we will provide a decision on access to the requested records.

If the request cannot be completed within 30 days where it negatively affects the regular operations of the Municipality or where other individuals or third parties may be affected by the possible release of information, you will be notified of an extension and the anticipated date of a decision.

Appeals

If you are not satisfied with the response to your request for information or the fee estimate, you can make an appeal to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. You must file the appeal within 30 days of receiving the decision letter or fee estimate.