Sometimes records requests prompt articles. Sometimes articles prompt records requests. And so on and so on.

That's the story behind our recent exposé about a secret compensation system that has netted tens of thousands of dollars in extra pay for Sandy city's top executives. The story was prompted by a review of pay records obtained by The Tribune via a Government Records Access and Management Act request (and several years of further legal wrangling.) The article then prompted discussions that led to a new revelation: In the waning days of the court case, the city hired outside legal help - in addition to the legal services of its own staff of attorneys - to try to fight a court order to pay the Tribune's legal fees.

That prompted a new GRAMA request. And the city promptly turned over records showing more than $14,000 in payments to a downtown Salt Lake City law firm - and about $700 to the public policy expert whom Sandy officials have said advised the city not to release the records.

You can review those records, which include a detailed account of how the lawyers spent their $200-plus-an-hour time, here, here, here, here and here.

-- mdl

Labels: GRAMA, Sandy