Metro East Sun

FOIA Request to Saint Clair County regarding tax relief requests for a veteran with disabilities on June 10, 2025.

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Saint Clair County, Illinois, seeking records related to property tax relief and exemptions for veterans with disabilities. The request, sent by Metro East Sun, aims to obtain documents from Tax Year 2024 through the present.

The specific records requested include:

1. Documents showing individuals who requested and/or received Property Tax Relief as a Veteran with a Disability or as a Surviving Spouse of a Disabled Veteran.

2. Documents showing individuals who requested and/or received a Specially Adapted Housing Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities, pursuant to 35 ILCS 200/15-165.

3. Documents showing individuals who requested and/or received a Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities, pursuant to 35 ILCS 200/15-169.

4. Documents showing individuals who requested and/or received a Returning Veteran’s Homestead Exemption, pursuant to 35 ILCS 200/15-172.

Metro East Sun emphasizes the importance of accessing public records to fulfill its role in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency. As part of their media responsibilities, they have also requested a fee waiver under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act due to their status as media professionals.

The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, an organization that assists media companies in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws. More information about this organization can be found on their website: https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.

Our team will continue to keep you updated as we gather and report news related to this request and other matters of public interest. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification regarding this matter.