South West Illinois News

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

On June 10, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Randolph County, Illinois. The request seeks access to records related to property tax relief and exemptions for veterans with disabilities and their surviving spouses for the tax year 2024 through the present. The specific documents requested include:

1. Records of individuals who have requested or received Property Tax Relief as a Veteran with a Disability or as a Surviving Spouse of a Disabled Veteran.

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

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

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

The request was made by SW Illinois News, an organization dedicated to providing accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs. As part of their commitment to transparency and accountability in public institutions, they are seeking these records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140), preferably in electronic format.

SW Illinois News is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating government actions through FOIA and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found on their website: https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.

In the context of education within Randolph County, it is notable that during the 2022-23 school year, the average student-to-teacher ratio was reported as 13-to-1 across its schools, which enrolled approximately 3,768 students supported by 289 full-time faculty members.

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.