A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City of Peru Finance Department regarding sales tax records on October 25, 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 request seeks access to specific public records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. Specifically, we are seeking information about sales tax collected from retailers from January 1, 2024 till today's date. The requested details include data fields such as the amount of sales tax collected from retailers by month versus projected figures, the number of active retail locations paying sales tax by month, and names of each retailer along with their gross retail sales reported for each month.
As a media organization involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, access to these public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These responsibilities 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 await a response from the City of Peru Finance Department regarding this request.
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