The Town of Lansing spent more than $200,000 processing public records requests from October through mid-June, according to The Ithaca Voice.
Town Supervisor Ruth Groff said nearly 90 requests have strained staff, driven up legal and administrative costs, and forced one deputy clerk to focus almost entirely on FOIL work.
Groff linked much of the increase to controversy surrounding TeraWulf’s proposed data center, though she said requests have also covered other town business.
Officials now expect annual FOIL-related costs could approach $500,000 and may require budget changes, including a possible tax increase in 2027.
Open-government advocates said the town must still devote the resources needed to comply with state transparency law despite the expense.
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