FOIA Request to Village of Chicago Ridge regarding expense reimbursement records on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Village of Chicago Ridge by Prairie State Wire, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request seeks access to the village’s expense reimbursement records for the immediately preceding calendar month. The requested information includes the name and title of individuals reimbursed, dates and amounts of reimbursements, descriptions of expenses reimbursed, and associated departments or offices.
The request emphasizes that it is intended to gather information of public interest for dissemination. It specifies that only existing records are sought, without requiring the creation of new documents. If any part of the request is denied or withheld, a statutory basis for such denial is requested along with all reasonably segregable portions of the records.
Prairie State Wire also requests that these records be provided in electronic format if available. As a member of the media involved in gathering and reporting news, they assert eligibility for a fee waiver due to their role in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency.
The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization assisting media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found on their website: https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.
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.
