The central issue for this Court to decide is whether the statute governing the fees a county treasurer can charge for property tax information fits within an exception to the FOIA mandate that only nominal fees be charged for public records. Additionally, this Court is asked to determine whether that dispute is affected by defendant's request for the information in electronic format as opposed to paper copies. A trial court's grant or denial of summary disposition is reviewed de novo. Summary disposition is appropriate when there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Auto-Owners Ins Co, supra at 397.
Statutory interpretation is a question of law that is also subject to de novo review on appeal.
Statutory language should be construed reasonably with the purpose of the act kept in mind. Judicial construction is not permitted when the statutory language is clear and its plain meaning reflects the legislative intent. The charge for such information is limited to the actual cost of its reproduction. A public body may charge a fee for a public record search, the necessary copying of a public record for inspection, or for providing a copy of a public record. Fees shall be uniform and not dependent upon the identity of the requesting person.