Southern Illinois News

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

On June 10, 2025, Southern Illinois News submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Treasurer's Office of Pope County, Illinois. 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 showing individuals who requested or received:

1. Property Tax Relief as a Veteran with a Disability or as a Surviving Spouse of a Disabled Veteran.

2. A Specially Adapted Housing Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities under statute 35 ILCS 200/15-165.

3. A Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities under statute 35 ILCS 200/15-169.

4. A Returning Veteran’s Homestead Exemption under statute 35 ILCS 200/15-172.

The FOIA request emphasizes the importance of access to public records in ensuring transparency and accountability within governmental institutions. As members of the media, Southern Illinois News asserts its role in gathering and disseminating information to the public, which they argue qualifies them for a fee waiver associated with this request.

Southern Illinois News is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting media companies and advocacy groups in investigating government actions through FOIA and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found on their website.

Pope County has an average student-to-teacher ratio of 13-to-1 in the current school year, serving 475 students with 37 full-time faculty members across its schools.

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.