Rockford Sun

FOIA Request to Winnebago County regarding vendor payment registers on November 10, 2025.

On November 10, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Winnebago County by Rockford Sun, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request seeks access to the county's vendor payment registers for the period from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025. Specifically, the records requested include details such as the names of vendors paid by the county, dates and amounts of payments made, and descriptions of goods or services purchased.

The request emphasizes that it pertains only to existing records and does not require the creation of new documents. It also requests that these records be provided in electronic format if available. The Rockford Sun highlights its role in gathering and reporting news to ensure transparency and accountability within public institutions. As part of this mission, they have requested a fee waiver based on their status as a media organization.

The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found on their website at https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.

Winnebago County is known for its educational institutions with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 16-to-1 during the 2022-23 school year. The county 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.