A judge has ruled against a taxpayer activist group, but the Association for Fair Government isn't giving up.

In an Open Records lawsuit involving access to public records in the city of Augusta's Procurement Department, Judge Carl C. Brown Jr. ruled last week in the city's favor. He ruled the documents the association was requesting were actually a compilation.

Public records must remain open for public review, but governments are not required to compile documents to fit in a requested format, according to the state laws.

The association filed the Richmond County Superior Court petition in October after its Open Records request to see all documents related to informal bids for items costing less than $10,000, sole source purchases and emergency purchases in the year 2007.

Procurement Director Geri Sams contended in court documents and testified in depositions that her department does not maintain those documents. The association needed to contact the various city departments to find those documents, the city contended.

Judge Brown sided with the city. The association could not ask the Procurement Department to gather all of the documents from various departments to prepare summaries for the association.

The association's motion asking the judge to set aside his judgment cites new evidence.

In a deposition of a Procurement Department employee, the association's attorneys learned the documents they are seeking are kept in the Procurement Department, according to the motion.

A Dec. 15 hearing is set on the association's request to reopen the lawsuit.