A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the City Of Mendota Finance Department on October 31, 2024. The request was made by us at the Illinois Valley Times, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The records requested under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, are for a list of businesses that paid sales tax to the city from January 1, 2023, to October 31, 2024. Specifically, we asked for details including the business name, business type, and the amount of sales tax paid by each business during this period.
In addition to individual business data, we also requested information about the total amount of sales tax that the city collected from January 1, 2023, to October 31, 2024.
As members of the media dedicated to gathering and reporting news to the public, access to these public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
We await a response from the City Of Mendota Finance Department regarding our request and will continue our efforts in providing comprehensive coverage on local governmental affairs.
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