FOIA Request to Village of Freeman Spur regarding vendor payment registers on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Village of Freeman Spur by Prairie State Wire, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request seeks access to the village’s vendor payment register for the immediately preceding calendar month. The information requested includes the names of vendors paid by the city, dates and amounts of payments, and descriptions of goods or services purchased.
The request is made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, with a preference for receiving the records in electronic format. Prairie State Wire emphasizes that this request is aimed at gathering information of public interest for dissemination to the public and does not require the creation of new documents. Should any part of this request be denied or withheld, they have asked for specific statutory reasons for such denial and request that all reasonably segregable portions be released.
Prairie State Wire has also indicated their eligibility for a fee waiver as members of the media engaged in gathering and reporting news to hold public institutions accountable. They are affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization assisting media companies in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws.
We look forward to receiving this information in an electronic format as it will greatly aid in our reporting efforts. As always, we remain open for any questions or clarifications regarding this request.
