Transparency and Public Records

Promoting Transparency, Accountability & Accessibility

Government records in North Carolina are public in nature unless identified as confidential pursuant to law. The City of Fayetteville must adhere to the North Carolina Public Records Law, found at N.C.G.S. Chapter 132, which provides that "the public records and public information compiled by the agencies of North Carolina government or its subdivisions are the property of the people. Therefore, it is the policy of this State that the people may obtain copies of their public records and public information free or at minimal cost unless otherwise specifically provided by law."

Please ensure that your request states with specificity important information that will assist us in identifying the responsive records, detailing the subject matter of the request, project names and addresses, and approximate dates or date ranges for the requested records. Also please assign the appropriate department to ensure expediency of your request.  Please note, not all records are “public” and subject to disclosure under North Carolina law. Likewise, certain records and/or information may be “confidential” and redacted from responsive records. 

By law, state agencies are required to respond to public records requests “as promptly as possible.” Response times may vary based on a variety of factors, including the complexity of the request, the volume of records requested, the amount of time needed to redact confidential information and the resources required to fulfill the request.

In the event the City of Fayetteville must use extensive time and resources to comply with a public records request, there may be additional charges to the requesting party.

Request a City of Fayetteville Public Record Request a Cumberland County Public Record Request a Fayetteville PWC Public Record

Electric, Water and Sewer Public Records

The Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC) as a Public Authority is a separate legal entity from the City of Fayetteville. Thus the City of Fayetteville is not the custodian of information and public records requests to PWC. Please contact PWC directly for this information here. The email address is legal@faypwc.com.  

Publicly Accessible City Records

North Carolina Public Records Law

The Law states that public records "shall mean all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, photographs, films, sound recordings, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data-processing records, artifacts, or other documentary material, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance in connection with the transaction of public business by any agency of North Carolina government or its subdivisions."

N.C.G.S. 132-1.2 and N.C.G.S. 14-113.20 define "confidential information" and "identifying information." The City of Fayetteville acknowledges and adheres to these definitions and the direction provided in N.C.G.S 132-1.

What is the time frame to fulfill records requests?

By law, state agencies are required to respond to public records requests “as promptly as possible.” Response times may vary based on a variety of factors, including the complexity of the request, the volume of records requested, the amount of time needed to redact confidential information and the resources required to fulfill the request.

If City staff find a request to be ambiguous, overly broad, or very time-intensive, a staff member may contact the requestor and attempt to clarify, narrow, or revise the request.  A narrowly-tailored request limits the expenditure of department resources, and therefore allows the agency to respond to requests in a shorter time-frame.

To assist our staff in providing a timely response to your request, we recommend the following when crafting your request:

  • Be specific – Carefully consider what records you would like to request. Are there specific documents you are interested in? What divisions or staff members are included in your request? The more detail you can provide, the easier it is for our staff to locate any responsive public records.
     
  • Provide dates – A date range can further help staff narrow the request to a particular time-frame, allowing for more efficient collection of records.

In many cases, simple public records requests can be fulfilled within a matter of days. Complex requests, especially those that require collecting and reviewing large quantities of emails or redacting confidential information, may take weeks or months to complete.

Public Records Policy and Fees

The City of Fayetteville has a Public Records Fee for requests that consume staff time and/or IT resources in excess of 4 hours to collect records, consistent with NCGS 132-6.2 (b). In order for work to begin on collecting the requested records, a prepayment of 50% of the estimated Public Records fee will need to be made. Once the prepayment has been made, and the records have been collected and are ready for release, the final remainder of the Public Records Fee will need to be paid in order for the records to be released. The Public Records Fee is based on the actual time spent by staff in collecting the requested documents and the prepayment will be applied to the final balance to be paid by the requester.

There is a fee for Public Records Requests that consume a large amount of time or IT resources to compile. Please note the fee does not apply to time spent redacting confidential records.

Less Than 4 Hours

  • No Charge

4 Hours or Greater

  • Each hour beyond 4 billed based on current compensation rate for Office Assistant II position; hourly cost shared at time of records request, not to exceed maximum charge of $750 per request 

Reproduction on CD or DVD

  •  $1.00 per CD or DVD

Paper Copies (up to 8.5" by 14" inches)

  • Single-sided black and white: $0.05 per page
  • Single-sided color: $0.19 per page
  • Double-sided black and white: $0.09 per page
  • Double-sided color: $0.37 per page

Cumberland County-Related Services

Tax Bills/Real Estate Data Search

For questions related to data found in tax bill and property searches, contact the Cumberland County Tax Administration Department by email or call (910) 678-7507.

Register of Deeds

For questions related to data found in real estate deeds, recording of legal documents, marriage licenses, birth and death records or notary oaths, contact the Cumberland County Register of Deeds Office or call (910) 678-7775.

Voter Records

For questions related to voter data searches, contact the Cumberland County Board of Elections by email or call (910) 678-7733.

Animal Services

For questions related to animal services, contact Cumberland County Animal Services by email or call (910) 223-5537.

Request a Cumberland County Public Record

City Council, City Manager and City Attorney Salaries

Annual salary for the following positions (as of August 2025)

City Council Members

  • Mayor: $39,182.61
  • Mayor Pro Tem: $22,677.67
  • City Council Member: $21,422.50

City Manager Salary and Contract

  • Salary: $255,309.43
  • Vacation: Accrues 20 days/year with maximum accumulation of 35 days/year; excess transferred to sick leave.
  • Deferred Compensation: In addition to required contribution to the retirement system for each employee, receives 6% contribution to either a 457 or 401 plan.
  • Severance:
    • 12 months of current annual salary.
    • Payment of accrued vacation leave up to 35 days.
    • Health/dental benefits to continue for employee for one year at employer's expense or until similar coverage is provided by subsequent employment.

City Attorney Salary and Contract

  • Salary: $205,000.00
  • Vacation: Accrues 15 days/year until 10th year of employment then leave shall accrue as specified by City policy with no accumulation limits; may request to be paid out for up to 10 days at the end of each calendar year.
  • Deferred Compensation: In addition to required contribution to the retirement system for each employee, receives 6% contribution to either a 457 or 401 plan.
  • Severance:
    • 12 months of current annual salary.
    • Health/dental benefits to continue for employee for one year at employer's expense or until similar coverage is provided by subsequent employment. 

 

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