FOIA Request to Village of Sauk regarding vendor payment registers on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Village of Sauk by South Cook News, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs. The request seeks access to the village’s vendor payment register for the immediately preceding calendar month. This includes records that detail the names of vendors paid by the city, the 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 information in electronic format. The purpose of this request is to gather information that is in the public interest and intended for dissemination to the public. It specifically asks for existing records and does not require the creation of new documents.
In case any part of this request is denied or withheld, South Cook News 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, they have also requested a fee waiver due to their role in gathering and reporting news to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency.
The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization assisting media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA requests. More information about this coalition can be found at this link.
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.
