FOIA Request to Edwards County regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted by SE Illinois News to Edwards County, Illinois, seeking records related to procurement bids and responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) received by the county during the preceding calendar month. The request aims to gather information that is of public interest and disseminate it through news coverage.
The specific records requested include details such as the solicitation or project title, names of bidders or proposers, submission dates, bid amounts or proposed costs, and descriptions of the goods or services proposed. The request emphasizes that it seeks existing records only and does not require the creation of new documents. The requester has expressed a preference for receiving these records in electronic format if available.
SE Illinois News, affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy—a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting transparency in government—has also requested a fee waiver for this FOIA request. As a member of the media, they argue that access to public records is crucial for holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
Edwards County serves a student population with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 13-to-1 during the 2022-23 school year. The county had 824 students enrolled across its schools with 65 full-time faculty members.
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.
