FOIA Request to Pulaski County regarding employee overtime records on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Pulaski County, Illinois, by Prairie State Wire on February 1, 2026. The request seeks access to the county’s employee overtime records for the immediately preceding calendar month. This request is made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, and aims to obtain information in an electronic format if available.
The specific details requested include the name and job title of each employee who worked overtime, their department or office, the dates and number of overtime hours worked, and the compensation paid for this overtime. The purpose of this request is to gather information that holds public interest and will be disseminated to the public. It is emphasized that this request does not require the creation of new documents but seeks access to existing records only.
In case any part of this request is denied or withheld, Prairie State Wire has asked for a specific statutory basis for such denial and requests that all reasonably segregable portions of the records be released. As a media organization committed to transparency and accountability in public institutions, Prairie State Wire has also requested a fee waiver based on its role in gathering and reporting news.
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 requests. More information about this coalition can be found on their website here.
Pulaski County had an average student-to-teacher ratio of 12-to-1 during the 2022-23 school year, with a total enrollment of 769 students and 67 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.
