FOIA Request to City of Jonesboro regarding vendor payment registers on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the City of Jonesboro, Illinois, by Southern Illinois News on February 1, 2026. The request seeks access to the city’s vendor payment register for the preceding calendar month. This includes detailed records such as 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 information in electronic format. Southern Illinois News emphasizes that this request aims to gather information of public interest for dissemination to the public and does not require creating new documents but only seeks existing records.
In case any part of this request is denied or withheld, Southern Illinois News has asked for a specific statutory basis for such denial and requests that all reasonably segregable portions of the records be released. As a media organization committed to holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency, Southern Illinois News also requests a fee waiver based on their role in gathering and reporting news.
Southern Illinois News is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws. 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.
