Photo Provided The Freedom of Information Act allows the public access to workings of government, including salary information for Tyler County officials.

SISTERSVILLE — The Freedom of Information Act allows the public access and preserves the transparency of government.

FOIA request requires a government to disclose information as specified by the request and by state and/or federal law. Though there are specific exemptions to the kind of information the government has to provide, the public does have access to most information such as salaries of public officials among others who paid from taxpayer dollars.

The Tyler Star News sought salary information for public officials not only at the county level, but for Tyler County Schools as well as Sistersville and Middlebourne municipal governments. The public has a right to know how much its elected officials, top school administrators and municipal leaders are being paid.

Each responding agency provided this information in a timely manner.

The Tyler County Clerk’s office didn’t ask for a FOIA, but provided the salary information – which is available to anyone – after a phone call to County Clerk Neil Archer. Following that phone call, the clerk’s office emailed the requested information.

After speaking with Sistersville City Recorder Chad Edwards about the material sought, he quickly provided the information in a very timely manner after a very general FOIA request.

Middlebourne Mayor Charles Delauder didn’t need a written request, but instead provided the information over the phone.

Tyler County School Director of Human Resources Duane Dober provided the salary information requested in a timely manner after receiving a very generic email from the newspaper.

Salary information for Tyler County officials:

The salary schedules are as follows:

County Commission (Eric Vincent, Charles Smith, John Stender): $39,178/year

County Clerk/Neil Archer: $59,532/year

Circuit Clerk/Candy Warner: $59,532/year

Assessor/Jack Hayes: $48,787/year

Sheriff/Brian Weigle: $48,787/year

Prosecuting Atty/Luke Furbee: $100,800/year

OEM Director/Tom Cooper: $50,830/year

Insurance and Retirement are available for all county employees including elected officials. The employee/official is responsible for part of the insurance premiums.

Tyler County Schools

Superintendent/Robin Daquilante: $115,800.00/year

Principal at Tyler Consolidated High School/Kent Yoho: $82,050/year

Principal at Tyler Consolidated Middle School/Suzette Miller: $70,569/year

Principal at Arthur I. Boreman Elementary School/Tricia Feldmeier: $72,732/year

Principal at Sistersville Elementary School/Krista DeVaughn: $77,395/year

Assistant principal and athletic director at Tyler Consolidated Middle and High Schools/Ryan Walton: $67,298/year

Board of education members are compensated $160 per member per meeting for a projected total of 36 meetings between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017 for a total of $5,760.00 per member for the year.

Sistersville Salaries for mayor, council and department heads

Mayor/Bill Rice: $250 a month – $3,000/year

Council: $40 a month – $480/year

Recorder/Chad Edwards: $13.59 an hour – $33,400

Police Chief/Rob Haught: $19.20 an hour – $46,549

Maintenance Supervisor/Russell Weekley: $13.75 an hour – $33,383

Sanitation Supervisor/Charlie Ebert: $12.25 an hour – $27,068

Middlebourne Salaries for mayor and council

Mayor/Charles Delauder: $6,750 per year

Council: $300 per year

City Recorder (part-time): $2,004

Delauder said salaries do not include benefits.