department will not release full records

The Seymour Volunteer Fire Department’s detailed records are still not being made available to the Seymour Herald or other citizens.  
    After several phone and email requests to view the department’s full and detailed records, as well as open communication in the paper on the issue, the response from the SVFD Chairman Ted Esch is to speak with the department’s attorney.
    The Herald recently tried to reach Esch by phone and sent him an email stating the paper’s request to view the department’s detailed records because the documents are subject to the Tennessee Open Records Act.
It is the Herald’s standing that the SVFD is the “functional equivalent” of a governmental entity since the department receives money annually from Sevier County and The United Way, as well as, from local donations and U.S. Federal Grants.
In his email response Esch said, “Please refer all inquiries relating to the Open Records Act to our attorney, David Benner.”
Benner stated in a letter to the Herald that he has come to the conclusion that the SVFD is not a government agency.
Due to this conclusion the Herald will not be given the access to the records of the department.

The Herald’s stance is that it is in the best interest of the public to pursue these records because of the public’s right to know how the department’s funds, which all come from the county, the state, the feds and the local citizen’s donations, are being spent.