Rockford Sun

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

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Winnebago County by the Rockford Sun, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs. The request, sent on June 10, 2025, seeks records related to property tax relief for veterans with disabilities and their surviving spouses for the tax year 2024 through the present.

The specific documents requested include:

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

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

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

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

The request emphasizes the importance of access to public records in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency. The Rockford Sun is seeking these records in an electronic format and has also requested a fee waiver due to its role as a media organization.

The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies using Freedom of Information and Sunshine Laws. More information about this organization can be found at https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.

Winnebago County, located in Illinois, had an average student-to-teacher ratio of 16-to-1 during the 2022-23 school year. It had an enrollment of 42,873 students and employed 2,747 full-time faculty members across its schools.

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.