FOIA

Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a state statute (5 ILCS 140) that provides the public the right to access government documents and records. The law provides that a person can ask a public body for a copy of its records on a specific subject and the public body must provide those records, unless there is an exemption in the statute that protects those records from disclosure (for example: records containing information concerning trade secrets or personal privacy).

The Village of Montgomery permits access to public records in compliance with the FOIA statute. The request is required to be submitted in writing containing your name, address, email address, date of the request, phone number and exactly what it is you are requesting. Please make sure your request for information is as specific as possible. 

Most requests will be responded to electronically via email unless otherwise specified. If physical copies of the document are requested, there will be no fee for the first 50 printed pages; thereafter the Village of Montgomery will charge 15 cents per page. Any cost for reproducing oversized documents that would have to be sent out for reproduction, certain electronic media, or color copies, if available, will be passed on to the person(s) requesting the information. Copying costs must be paid before any of the documents can be released.

Time

Requests will be responded to within 5 business days after the Village receives the request. An additional 5 business days may be required for requests requiring additional consultation. If this is the case, The Village’s designated FOIA officer will notify you. 

Submitting Requests 

All requests pertaining to the Police Department must be submitted in writing via email to records@ci.montgomery.il.us or submitted through this REQUEST FORM. 

All other requests must be submitted in writing via email to hhashim@montgomeryil.org or submitted through this REQUEST FORM. 

Resources 

You may visit the Illinois Attorney General’s website where more information on the FOIA statute can be found.