A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City of Mascoutah, Illinois, regarding residential and commercial building permits on October 30, 2024. The request was made by Metro East Sun, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
In our pursuit of transparency and accountability in public institutions, we requested specific records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. We sought a list of all new residential and commercial building permits issued from January 1, 2023, up until the present date. The details we asked for included the type of permit, date issued, fee paid, requester’s name, address, and contractor’s name.
Additionally, we requested a list of all active residential and commercial building permits along with their current status. The same details as above were asked for these active permits.
As a media organization involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, access to public records is crucial for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. Therefore, we believe that we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
We await the City of Mascoutah’s response to our request as we continue our mission to provide transparent and accountable news coverage for our readers.
