The Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) is based on the enduring principle that public knowledge of government activities is critical to the functioning of a democratic society; that a Government of the people, by the people, and for the people must be open to the people. Members of the public need and deserve complete information as they make the decisions and form the opinions that determine our future path, and the MPIA ensures that those needs are met fairly and expeditiously while protecting important privacy rights and other public policy goals.
The Town of Bel Air provides access to public records in accordance with the MPIA. The Director of HR & Administration is the Town’s official custodian of records (“Custodian of Records”) for MPIA requests. Requests for information under the MPIA only require production of existing documents under the control of the town. The MPIA does not require the town to compile information from existing documents or create documents in response to general inquiries.