FOIA Request to Richland County regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
On February 1, 2026, Prairie State Wire, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive news coverage on local governmental affairs, submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Treasurer’s Office of Richland County, Illinois. The request seeks access to records related to procurement bids and responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) received by the county during the preceding calendar month.
The specific records requested include details such as solicitation or project titles, names of bidders or proposers, submission dates, bid amounts or proposed costs, and descriptions of the goods or services proposed. This request is made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, with a preference for receiving the information in electronic format.
Prairie State Wire has emphasized that this request is intended to gather information of public interest for dissemination to the public. It is noted that the request does not require the creation of new documents but seeks existing records only. In case any portion 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 part of their professional responsibilities in gathering and reporting news to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency, Prairie State Wire has also requested a fee waiver as a media professional. The organization behind this FOIA request is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit corporation that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws.
Richland County’s schools have an average student-to-teacher ratio of 17-to-1 for the 2022-23 school year, with 2,254 students enrolled and 134 full-time faculty members across its schools.
We look forward to receiving this information in an electronic format as it will greatly aid in our reporting efforts. As always, we remain open for any questions or clarifications regarding this request.
