A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Carthage City Council in Illinois on October 15, 2024. The request was made by us at West Central Reporter, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
In our pursuit of transparency and accountability in public institutions, we requested specific records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. The records sought are preferably in electronic format and pertain to the list of all council members with certain fields.
The details we asked for include each council member's name, title, year they were appointed, their term length (whether it is two or four years), and the date their term expires. This information is crucial for our ongoing reporting on local government activities and will help us provide more detailed and accurate news coverage for our readers.
As a media organization, we emphasized that access to public records is essential for fulfilling our professional responsibilities. We also mentioned that given our role in disseminating information to the public, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as a media professional.
We await a response from the Carthage City Council and look forward to continuing our work in bringing transparency and accountability to local government affairs.
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