A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City Of Highland Park Finance Department on October 31, 2024. The request was made by us at the Lake County Gazette, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The request specifically sought records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, preferably in electronic format. The requested records included a list of businesses that paid sales tax to the city from January 1, 2023, to October 31, 2024. The desired fields for this list are the business name, business type, and the amount of sales tax paid.
Additionally, we asked for information regarding the total amount of sales tax that the city collected within the same period.
As a media organization dedicated to gathering and reporting news to the public, access to 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 media professionals.
We await a response from the City Of Highland Park Finance Department and will continue to keep our readers informed about developments on this matter.
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