South Cook News

FOIA Request to Village of Orland Park regarding hiring records and communications on July 29, 2025.

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted by South Cook News to the Village of Orland Park on July 29, 2025. The request seeks detailed records related to hiring processes and internal communications within the village government for the period from March 1, 2025, through July 24, 2025.

The requested information includes all records pertaining to individuals hired, appointed, or reassigned to positions within key offices such as the Mayor’s Office, Village Manager’s Office, Human Resources Department, and administrative support roles. This encompasses job postings and advertisements, applications and resumes submitted, interview notes or scoring materials, offer letters and appointment memos, as well as onboarding documents and start dates.

Additionally, the request calls for internal communications such as emails, memos, meeting notes, or written correspondence involving village officials or staff that reference employment recommendations or referrals for any position. It also seeks information on hiring decisions or candidate selection discussions and job creation or reassignments during the specified timeframe.

Furthermore, external referrals are also a focus of this FOIA request. This includes any emails or letters from elected officials like Village Trustees and the Mayor concerning specific candidates for village employment or recommendations related to job candidates.

South Cook News has requested these records in electronic format if possible. They have also asked that if any part of the request is denied, the specific exemption applied should be provided along with all segregable portions of the documents.

As a media organization committed to transparency and accountability in local governmental affairs, South Cook News has emphasized its role in gathering news for public dissemination. They have requested a fee waiver due to their status as a media professional under Illinois law.

For more information about The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy—a non-profit organization assisting media companies in investigating governmental agencies—please visit 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.