A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City Of Edwardsville Finance Department regarding sales tax records on October 25, 2024.
As part of our commitment to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we at Metro East Sun have requested specific information under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. We have asked for these records preferably in an electronic format.
The details of our request include sales tax collected from retailers from January 1, 2024 till the date of the request. The specifics we’ve asked for encompass several fields such as the sales tax collected from retailers by month versus projected figures and the number of active retail locations paying sales tax by month. Additionally, we’ve requested names of each retailer and gross retail sales reported by each for every month.
Our role as a media organization involves gathering and reporting news to the public. Access to public records is essential for 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 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 Edwardsville Finance Department regarding this FOIA request.
