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FOIA

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal law enacted in 1966 to provide the public a right of access to government documents and records, the premise being that the public has a right to know what the government is doing. The act states that any person may request an agency for a copy of its records, and that the agency must provide such records, unless an exemption exists that protects the records from disclosure. While the Freedom of Information Act requires records be made available to the public, it does not mean free of cost. Fees will be applied for services such as programming, consultants, copies, certification, and postage.  All fees must be prepaid. A request for documents and records pursuant to the FOIA must be in writing and identified as a "Freedom of Information Act" request. The Act requires a requestor to provide a reasonable description of the documents or records sought. A reasonable description is one that allows agency employees familiar with the subject matter to locate responsive records with a reasonable amount of effort. Requests that do not meet the reasonable description standard include requests for all records within a broad category.  If your request does not contain a reasonable description, we will return the request for clarification.  A precise description of the records you want will ensure responsible use of Coroner resources to satisfy your right of access while minimizing any processing costs to you. 

Freedom of Information (FOIA) Officer

Each office and department of Sangamon County Government has an appointed FOIA officer. The list can be obtained on the county’s web site.

FOIA Procedures

Interested parties can request information in any way convenient to them (in-person, mailed, emailed and faxed). Requests should be made to the appropriate FOI officer, as listed on the county’s web site. It is preferred that requests be made in writing.