A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Joliet City Council regarding detailed information about council members on October 15, 2024. The request was made by us at the Will County Gazette, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
In our pursuit of transparency and accountability in public institutions, we sought specific details about the council members under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. The requested records include:
- Name of each council member
- Their respective titles
- Year they were appointed
- Length of their term (2 or 4 years)
- Date when their term expires
We believe that access to these public records is crucial for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. As a media organization involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, we argued for a fee waiver based on our role in disseminating information.
We continue to strive towards holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public through our journalism. We eagerly await the response from Joliet City Council as it will further aid us in this mission.
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