FOIA Request to Village of Garrett regarding employee overtime records on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Village of Garrett on February 1, 2026, by East Central Reporter. The request seeks access to the village’s employee overtime records for the immediately preceding calendar month. The request is made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, and emphasizes a preference for receiving the information in electronic format.
The requested records include specific details such as the name and job title of each employee, their department or office, dates and number of overtime hours worked, and any overtime compensation paid. The purpose of this request is to gather information that is in the public interest and intended for dissemination to the public. It is explicitly stated that the request pertains only to existing records and does not require the creation of new documents.
In case any part of this request is denied or withheld, East Central Reporter has asked for a specific statutory basis for such denial and requests that all reasonably segregable portions of the records be released. Additionally, as a member of the media involved in gathering and reporting news, East Central Reporter has requested a fee waiver based on their role in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency.
East Central Reporter is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA requests. More information about this organization can be found at 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.
