A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City of Ottawa Finance Department on October 25, 2024. The request, issued by Illinois Valley Times, sought detailed records of sales tax collected from retailers in the city since the beginning of the year.
The information requested specifically included a month-by-month breakdown of sales tax collected versus projected amounts. Additionally, Illinois Valley Times asked for the number of active retail locations paying sales tax each month and a list of these businesses along with their reported gross retail sales for each month.
As a media organization committed to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we at Illinois Valley Times believe access to such public records is crucial. This data allows us to fulfill our professional responsibilities which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
Given our role in disseminating information, we have also requested a fee waiver as part of this FOIA request. We await the response from the City of Ottawa Finance Department and look forward to sharing this important information with our readers.
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