Making Public Records Requests:

 Any person may make a public records request:

  • In person at Town Hall, 801 Washington St. Canton, MA  02021 for a municipal record or at Canton High School Administration Office, 960 Washington St. Canton, MA 02021 for a school record;
  • By first class mail addressed to the RAO at the RAO’s business address set forth above;
  • By facsimile addressed to the RAO at the business facsimile number set forth above; or
  • By e-mail addressed to the RAO at the e-mail address set forth above.

Requests Encouraged to be in Writing. Although not required, it is strongly encouraged that public records requests be in writing to ensure the most efficient and accurate response. All written public records requests, including via email and facsimile, shall be addressed/directed to an RAO, and contain the requester’s name and contact information, so that the RAO is able to provide the required response.

Contact Information. Individuals making a request  in-person are not required to give their names or contact information. For in-person requests that require additional time for a comprehensive response, requesters will be advised to check in periodically with the RAO or department from which records are sought, or requesters may voluntarily provide contact information.

Specificity of Requests. To facilitate timely responses to public records requests, requests should be as specific as possible, detailing, if known, records custodian(s), and date and subject matter parameters. The more specific the request, the better able the TOWN will be to respond, as broad requests often require more extensive staff efforts to locate, review and copy all possibly responsive records.

Receipt of Requests. Written requests received during normal business hours, as defined above, will be considered received on that date. Written requests sent via email or facsimile after normal business hours shall not be considered received until the following business day. Business days shall not include Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.

Purpose of Request. The RAO may ask for more information to assist the requester to make an appropriate request and/or to enable the RAO to respond more efficiently.