The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law that guarantees all persons access to complete information regarding the activities and policies of government and public officials.
Anyone can make a request.
Anything not expressly exempted by the FOIA statute must be disclosed.
The easiest way to submit a FOIA request is to fill out our FOIA request form; be as specific as possible in the description section. This should be submitted to one of our Freedom of Information Officers. Requests can also be made in person or over the phone.
Yes, but they will be given lower priority than other requests and may be subject to additional fees. If a request is being made for commercial purposes then that should be disclosed at the time the request is made.
Ordinarily, within five business days, the submitter will be contacted and either the requested information will be made available and any fees will be calculated or the request will be rejected and an explanation will be given. Under some circumstances, such as commercial requests, additional time will be allowed. The FOIA requests themselves, whether accepted or rejected, also become part of the public record.
The first 50 printed pages are free. Other fees are assessed according to our fee schedule.
A request may be rejected because it wasn’t specific enough. Additionally, some information is specifically exempted by the FOIA statute. If you contact the offices of our Freedom of Information Officers, staff can help you to make sure your request is specific enough and does not include exempted information.
Appeals to FOIA requests should be directed to the Attorney General of the State of Illinois.
| Department | Contact |
|---|---|
Public Information Officer | Rollie Hawk 618–833-8248 309 W. Market, Room 239 Jonesboro, IL 62952 rhawk@unioncountyil.gov |
State’s Attorney | Tyler Tripp 618–833-7216 309 W. Market, Room 239 Jonesboro, IL 62952 ucsainfo@unioncountyil.gov |
FOIA Request Fee Schedule
| Document | Request Fee |
|---|---|
First 50 pages of printed material | NO FEE |
Black & White pages after 1st 50 pages | $0.15 per page |
Documents and Categories
In accordance with Section 5 of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/5), here is a list of documents and categories of records available for copy and inspection maintained by each office. In accordance with Section 3.5 of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/3.5), items immediately available are noted by an asterisk (*).
Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/3.5), items immediately available are noted by an asterisk (*). County Clerk and Recorder
9-1-1
- Recordings of Calls
- Recordings of Radio Traffic
- Call Reports
Ambulance Service
- Various records other than medical records and protected health information which are exempt from release under HIPAA
Animal Control
- Reports of Investigations and Other Activities
Circuit Clerk
- Genealogy Records *
- Various records other than Court records which are exempt from release under FOIA
Commissioners, County Administrator and Human Resources
- Board Meeting Agendas and Minutes
- Budgets
- Vendor Agreements
- Payroll and Employment Records
- Salary Information
Coroner
- Investigative Reports
- Autopsy Reports
County Clerk & Recorder
- Statements of Economic Interest *
- Tax Buyer 1099s
- Tax Deeds *
- Tax District Budgets and Levies *
- Tax Extensions and Levies *
- Tax Rate Information *
- Weekly Balance and Budget *
- Public Records related to Voter Registration *
- Conduct and results of Elections *
- Vital Records as governed by the Illinois Vital Record Act *
- Official Agendas, Minutes Resolutions and Ordinances of the Union County Board of Commissioners *
- Scans of all Recordings *
- Notary Public registrations *
- Assumed Name Registrations *
- Records relating to Tax Rates *
- Tax Increment Financing Reports and Tax Redemption Processes *
- County Employee Payroll Records
- Employee Insurance Records *
- Collective Bargaining Contract Records *
- Land Records Recordings *
- Various Recordings as governed by the State Records Act *
- Safe keeping of Land Records *
- County Contact Lists – Municipalities, Schools, Townships *
- Liquor Licenses for the County *
- Military Discharges – DD2-14 *
- Peddlers Licenses for the County *
- Raffle Licenses for the County *
Emergency Management
- Incident Reports
- Emergency Plans
- Grant Records
Highway Department
- Building Permits
- Construction Records
- Maintenance Records
- Grant Records
Public Defender
- Public Defender records are generally exempt from release under FOIA
Sheriff
- Investigative Reports and Case Files
- Accident Reports an Reconstructions * (available online here)
- Security Video Footage
- Body Camera Footage (sometimes subject to FOIA but typically exempt)
State’s Attorney
- Case Files
- Various Prosecutor Records
Supervisor of Assessments
- Arial Maps
- Assessment Data
- Various Reports
- GIS Data
- Board of Review Records
- Records of Exemptions
Treasurer
- Current Tax Bills *
- Historical Tax Bills
- Accounts Payable Records
- Revenue Records
- Expense Records