FOIA Request to Mercer County regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Mercer County, Illinois, by Prairie State Wire on February 1, 2026. The request seeks access to records related to procurement bids and responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) received by the county during the immediately preceding calendar month.
The specific records requested include details such as the solicitation or project title, names of bidders or proposers, submission dates, bid amounts or proposed costs, and descriptions of the goods or services proposed. This request aims to gather information of public interest for dissemination to the public and is limited to existing records without necessitating the creation of new documents.
Prairie State Wire has expressed a preference for receiving these records in electronic format if available. Additionally, they have requested that if any portion of this request is denied or withheld, Mercer County should provide the specific statutory basis for such denial while releasing all reasonably segregable portions of the records.
The requester is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws. More information about this organization can be found on their website.
Mercer County’s educational system had an average student-to-teacher ratio of 12-to-1 during the 2022-23 school year, with a total enrollment of 1,256 students and 107 full-time faculty members across its schools.
Our team will continue to keep you updated as we gather and report news related to this request and other matters of public interest. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification regarding this matter.
