FOIA Request to City of Salem Regarding Building Permits on October 30, 2024.
On October 30, South Central Reporter, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the City of Salem in Illinois. The request sought detailed information about all new residential and commercial building permits issued from January 1, 2023, up until the date of the request.
The specific details requested included the type of permit, date issued, fee paid, requester's name, address where the work is being done, and contractor's name. This information was requested for both new permits issued during this period and any active permits that are still in effect.
Additionally, South Central Reporter requested a status update on all active residential and commercial building permits. The same fields as mentioned above were requested for these active permits.
As members of the media dedicated to transparency and holding public institutions accountable, we at South Central Reporter believe access to such public records is essential for fulfilling our professional responsibilities. We have therefore requested a fee waiver for this information under our status as media professionals.
We await a response from the City of Salem regarding this request.
Alerts Sign-up