FOIA Request to Village of East Galesburg regarding employee overtime records on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Village of East Galesburg by Prairie State Wire, a media organization dedicated to covering local governmental affairs. The request seeks access to the village’s employee overtime records for the immediately preceding calendar month. The request, dated February 1, 2026, is aimed at obtaining information in an electronic format under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140.
The specific details requested include the name and job title of each employee, their department or office, the dates and number of overtime hours worked, and the compensation paid for such overtime. This request is made with the intention of gathering information that serves public interest and disseminating it to the public. It emphasizes that no new documents need to be created; only existing records are sought.
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 members of the media involved in news gathering and reporting, they have also requested a fee waiver based on their role in promoting transparency and accountability within public institutions.
The requester identifies as a member of The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that aids media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA requests. 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.
