The Office of the City Secretary promotes transparency and the enhancement of communication between the City of Commerce and its citizens by serving as the principal office responding to Public Information Requests. In order to provide efficient and excellent customer service, many documents are posted on our website. We encourage you to explore our website to find the documents you are requesting. Further, you may choose to view and print the documents you need.
When making a request for public information, please keep in mind that some information may accrue a cost to process. Should the office determine that your request will incur a fee, a cost estimate will be provided to you. For more information about the Public Information Act (PDF), please visit the Texas Attorney General’s website. Further, some records are protected from public disclosure. Records related to active investigations, minors, third parties and most protected personal information may be redacted from your request. Some records which fall under these categories may require a ruling from the Attorney General before being released.
In accordance with the Texas Public Information Act, Public Information requests must be submitted in writing. Please use the “Enter Open Records Request Center” button below for requests for records from the City of Commerce, including our Police Department. Please also note that within the City of Commerce is the Texas A&M University Police Department, which is an entity with their own records. Their website can be found here. The City of Commerce does not maintain records related to incidents handled by the University Police Department on campus.
Upon receipt, the City will begin processing your request in the order in which it was received. Requests should only be for documents or information that exists currently and not for documents that may exist in the future. The City of Commerce is not required to answer questions, perform legal research, or comply with a standing request to supply information on a periodic basis. Public Information Act requests intended to solicit business are highly discouraged. The City of Commerce has the right to inquire about further clarification of requests if it is uncertain as to what is being requested or if the request is broad in scope.