FOIA Request to Village of Forest City regarding expense reimbursement records on February 1, 2026.
The Prairie State Wire has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Village of Forest City. The request seeks access to the city’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 the associated department or office.
This request is made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, with a preference for receiving the records in electronic format. The Prairie State Wire emphasizes that this request is aimed at gathering information of public interest for dissemination to the public. It is specified that the request does not require creating new documents but is limited to existing records.
In case any part of this request is denied or withheld, the organization asks 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 gathering and reporting news, they assert their eligibility for a fee waiver due to their role in providing transparency and holding public institutions accountable.
The Prairie State Wire is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization assisting media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies using 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.
