Last month, The Sun News submitted public records requests for personnel files for the top employee in the following municipalities: Town of Surfside Beach, City of Myrtle Beach, City of North Myrtle Beach and the City of Conway.
The timelines and costs of each file were different with each municipality.
All of the municipalities completed the request, except for the City of North Myrtle Beach, who sent their denial 10 business days after the initial Freedom of Information Act request was sent.
The costs ranged from free due to not completing the request from North Myrtle Beach to over one hundred dollars from Conway.
The Sun News received the file from Conway in 12 business days, Surfside Beach in 16 business days and Myrtle Beach in 25 business days.
“The information requested is exempt from disclosure pursuant to section 30-4-40(a)(2) of the Code of Laws of South Carolina because the information is of a personal nature where the public disclosure thereof would constitute an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy,” North Myrtle Beach’s email denying the request said.