El Paso's city attorney will request that personal papers and emails of city officials should not be subject to open records requests.

The move comes after local groups opposing the city's bid to tear down City Hall used emails by city manager Joyce Wilson to argue an alleged conspiracy to bring a new Triple-A baseball team to the area without public vote.

The city released the following statement on this incident:

"The City of El Paso has filed a Petition for Declaratory Judgment seeking a decision that the personal papers, emails and effects of local government officials and local government employees are not subject to 'open records searches.'

"Those documents do not meet the statutory definition of public information. "Public Information" as defined by State law consists of information that is collected, assembled, or maintained under a law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business: (1) by a governmental body; or (2) for a governmental body and the governmental body owns the information or has a right of access to it.

"The City of El Paso does not collect, assemble or maintain personal records of the elected officials or City staff. The City Attorney was granted authority to file the petition when she briefed City Council concerning the information request filed by Mr. Alshire."