FOIA Request to Village of Cooksville regarding employee overtime records on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Village of Cooksville by Prairie State Wire, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request seeks access to the village’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 is preferably requested in electronic format.
The specific records requested include details such as the name and job title of each employee, their department or office, dates and number of overtime hours worked, and any overtime compensation paid. The request emphasizes that it is limited to existing records and does not require the creation of new documents. If any part of this request is denied or withheld, Prairie State Wire has asked for a specific statutory basis for the denial and requests that all reasonably segregable portions of the records be released.
As members of the media involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, Prairie State Wire highlights its role in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency. The organization has also requested a fee waiver based on its status as a media professional entity.
The requester 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 requests. More information about this coalition can be found at this link.
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.
