A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the City of Ottawa Finance Department regarding city sales tax records 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.
We are seeking detailed information about businesses that paid sales tax to the city from January 1, 2023, to October 31, 2024. Specifically, we have asked for a list with fields including business name, business type, and the amount of sales tax paid by each entity during this period.
In addition to this data, we have also requested the total amount of sales tax that the city collected from January 1, 2023, to October 31, 2024.
As a media organization focused on local government affairs, access to public records is essential for us in fulfilling 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 a media professional.
We will continue to keep you updated as we await a response from the City of Ottawa Finance Department regarding this request.
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