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Freedom of Information (FOI) Request
An individual has the right to access information under the custody and control of an institution, including one's own personal information. The Town also ensures the protection of personal privacy in its day-to-day operations.
To access information or corporate records about a specific subject, or to request correction to your own personal information, you may submit a Freedom of Information request to the Town. General information about the Town's services is available by contacting us.
A mandatory $5.00 application fee must be received before the request can be processed. The application fee can be paid online, in person, or by mail (cheque). Additional processing fees may apply as outlined here.
Personal information collected is pursuant to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and will be used for the purpose of responding to your request. Questions about this collection should be directed to privacy@ajax.ca.
Freedom of Information (FOI) Request FAQ
The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) is a piece of Ontario legislation that provides a right of access to information under the control of local government institutions while also protecting the privacy of individuals’ personal information existing in government records. The Act also outlines some exemptions where certain information or records are not to be released to the public.
There is a $5.00 application fee that must be paid before the request process is started.
Pursuant to Section 45 of MFIPPA, there are additional fees that may be applicable to the request. The fees include:
|
Fee |
Description |
Rate |
|
Application Fee |
Mandatory fee which must accompany each request |
$5.00 |
|
Search Time |
Time needed to search and gather records for the request |
$7.50 for each 15 minutes |
|
Records Preparation |
Where information must be severed from records prior to release |
$7.50 for each 15 minutes |
|
Computer Programming |
Where a program is required to retrieve information from a machine readable database |
$15.00 for each 15 minutes |
|
Copy Fees |
Per page for photocopies or computer printouts |
$0.20 per page |
|
Copy Fees - Drawings |
Per page for copies of drawings (larger than 11”x17”) |
$6.00 per page |
|
CD, DVD, USB drive, or other transferable storage media |
Where records are requested in a digital format |
$10.00 each |
|
Scanning documents into electronic format |
Cost for scanning documents to convert to electronic format (average 1,200 pages per hour). |
$30.00 per hour |
|
Invoiced fees |
Costs for locating, retrieving, copying and processing records invoiced to the Town by an external party |
As Invoiced |
Search time and records preparation fees do not apply to requests for your own personal information. Where a fee estimate for a request is over $100.00, the requester may be required to pay a deposit equal to 50% of the estimate before any further steps are taken to respond to the request.
How long will it take to process my request?
MFIPPA states that the Town has thirty (30) calendar days to respond to a request from the time the application form and fee are received. Staff will ensure that the request is processed within the shortest time possible.
Appeals:
The requester has the right to appeal a decision made by the Town in respect to the decision to release or fee estimate. Please contact the Records & FOI Coordinator to discuss. Should the matter not be resolved to the requester’s satisfaction, they can contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner to review the release decision or fee estimate within thirty (30) days of the access decision letter. An appeal can be filed online at www.ipc.on.ca. The appeal fee is $25.00 (for a general record request) or $10.00 (for a personal information request). Alternatively, appeals can be mailed with a cheque or money order payable to “Minister of Finance” to: Registrar, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, ON, M4W 1A8.