Southern Illinois News

FOIA Request to Alexander County regarding tax relief requests for a veteran with disabilities on June 10, 2025.

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Treasurer's Office of Alexander County, Illinois, by Southern Illinois News. The request seeks records related to property tax relief and exemptions for veterans with disabilities and their surviving spouses for the tax year 2024 through the present. Specifically, the request includes documents pertaining to individuals who have requested or received various forms of property tax relief and exemptions under specific Illinois statutes.

The requested documents include:

1. Records of individuals who have requested or received Property Tax Relief as a Veteran with a Disability or as a Surviving Spouse of a Disabled Veteran.

2. Records concerning those who have applied for or received a Specially Adapted Housing Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities, in accordance with 35 ILCS 200/15-165.

3. Documents showing individuals who have sought or obtained a Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities, pursuant to 35 ILCS 200/15-169.

4. Records related to those who have requested or received a Returning Veteran’s Homestead Exemption, as per 35 ILCS 200/15-172.

Southern Illinois News emphasizes the importance of access to public records in fulfilling its role in providing transparency and holding public institutions accountable. The media organization has also requested a fee waiver, citing its status as part of the news media.

The requester is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that aids media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found on their website at https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.

Alexander County is known for its commitment to education, maintaining an average student-to-teacher ratio of 15-to-1 during the 2022-23 school year across its schools, which serve approximately 673 students with the help of 46 full-time faculty members.

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.