Share records
Did you get records from the city? Share them with us.
Residents file public information requests every month. The answers often explain decisions that were made behind closed doors. If you received records from the City of Lago Vista, we want to see them.
What to send
- The records the city released to you, as you received them. PDFs, spreadsheets, and emails are all fine.
- Your request, including the request number and the date you filed it.
- The city's response letter or email, so we can confirm the records came from the city.
- Any Texas Attorney General ruling on your request.
- A few sentences on what you were looking for and why it matters to you.
Please send only records the city released under the Texas Public Information Act. Do not send anything you were told is confidential or that you obtained without permission.
How we protect you
- We never publish your name, email, address, or anything else that identifies you unless you ask us to.
- Before we publish a record, we remove the requester's name and contact details and other private information, such as home addresses and account numbers.
- We do not share your identity with the city, officials, or anyone else.
- Your messages are kept private and used only to report the story.
How we use the evidence
We report from the records, not from the tip alone. Every record goes through the same checks as the rest of our reporting.
- We confirm the record is real, using the city's response, the request number, or our own request for the same record.
- We check every claim in the story against the document and cite the page.
- We publish the record itself next to the story, with your private details removed, so readers can check our work.
- We tell you before your records appear in a story.
How to reach us
Email the records and your note to corrections@lagovistawatchdog.com. If you would rather not use your usual email, a new free account works fine.
New to public information requests? The Texas Attorney General explains how to request public information, and the city takes requests through its open records request page.