How to File a Public Records Request: FOIA and State Laws
How to file a public records request: federal FOIA vs. state laws, finding the records officer, a sample request letter, fees, deadlines, appeals, and MuckRock.
Baltimore is the 30th largest city in the United States with about 569,997 residents. Here is who governs it, when they meet in public, and where the agendas are posted.
Independent city; 14 single-member districts plus a council president elected citywide.
| Body | What it decides | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore City Council | Ordinances, the city budget, zoning changes, contracts, police and fire funding | Official page |
| Baltimore City Public Schools board | School budget, boundaries, calendar, curriculum adoption, superintendent | District website |
| Baltimore City Planning Commission | Rezonings, site plans, variances and long-range land use recommendations | City website |
Generally Mondays, 5:00 p.m., Council Chamber, City Hall, 100 N. Holliday St. Always confirm the date and location on the official agenda before you attend, because meetings can be cancelled, moved or continued.
The main information line is 311 or (410) 396-3100. City Hall is at 100 N. Holliday St., Baltimore, MD 21202, and the official website is https://www.baltimorecity.gov.
Find the agenda for the meeting, check the sign-up deadline (many cities close the list before the meeting starts), prepare remarks for the posted time limit — usually two or three minutes — and state your name, your district and your specific ask.
No debates for Baltimore yet. If something is on the council agenda — a rezoning, a fee increase, a transit change — open the first debate and invite both sides.
How to file a public records request: federal FOIA vs. state laws, finding the records officer, a sample request letter, fees, deadlines, appeals, and MuckRock.
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