East Central Reporter

FOIA Request to City of Mattoon regarding vendor payment registers on November 10, 2025.

The East Central Reporter has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the City of Mattoon, Illinois. The request seeks access to existing vendor payment registers maintained by the city for the period from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025. The records requested include details such as the names of vendors paid by the city, dates and amounts of payments, and descriptions or purposes of goods and services provided.

This request is made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. The East Central Reporter emphasizes that it seeks only existing records and does not require the creation of new documents. The media organization also requests that these records be provided in electronic format to facilitate their reporting efforts.

As a member of the media involved in gathering and disseminating news to the public, East Central Reporter underscores its role in ensuring transparency and accountability within public institutions. In light of this role, they have requested a fee waiver for accessing these public records.

The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization based in Missouri. This coalition supports media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. More information about this organization can be found on their website at https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.

We look forward to receiving this information in an electronic format as it will greatly aid in our reporting efforts. As always, we remain open for any questions or clarifications regarding this request.