FOIA Request to Village of Cullom regarding vendor payment registers on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Village of Cullom by Prairie State Wire, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request, sent on February 1, 2026, seeks access to the village’s vendor payment register for the immediately preceding calendar month.
The requested records include details such as the names of vendors paid by the city, dates and amounts of payments, and descriptions of goods or services purchased. The purpose of this request is to gather information of public interest for dissemination to the public. It emphasizes that the request is limited to existing records and does not require the creation of new documents.
Prairie State Wire has expressed willingness to receive these records in electronic format if available. In case any portion of this request is denied or withheld, they have asked for a specific statutory basis for denial and requested that all reasonably segregable portions be released.
The requestor has also indicated their eligibility for a fee waiver as a media professional involved in gathering and reporting news. They emphasize their role in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
This FOIA request is part of efforts by The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies using Freedom of Information laws. More information about this coalition can be found at 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.
