Fayette sets employee records policy

Following recent debates about whether and how employee files should be accessed and/or disseminated, the Fayette County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 on March 22 to set a formal policy. The measure, introduced by Commissioner Randy Ognio, states that copies of personnel records may not be published in any document, posted to a website or placed as a meeting agenda item unless the information has been reviewed for redaction to protect employee privacy.

Several commissioners cited concerns about employee morale, recruitment and retention. Commissioner Steve Brown dissented, saying that limiting public exposure to open records “is nothing less than government tyranny.”