While Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email account has been under scrutiny, officials in many Minnesota cities use private email accounts to conduct government business.

The St. Cloud Times reports the practice raises questions about public access, accountability and security.

Most large Minnesota cities provide official accounts for mayors and council members. However, for budget or convenience reasons, many smaller cities don’t. Their officials use their own private accounts.

In St. Cloud, for example, the mayor and city employees have city email accounts, but council members use private accounts.

The practice is legal. But a lawyer who specializes in government data, Mark Anfinson, says it makes it harder to track those emails, guarantee the public has access to them and ensure that officials aren’t violating open meeting rules.