A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City Of Moline Finance Department on October 25, 2024. The request, made by us at Rock Island Today, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sought specific sales tax records.
The records requested include detailed information about sales tax collected from retailers since the start of the year until the present date. The specifics outlined in the request were as follows:
- Sales tax collected from retailers by month versus projected figures.
- The number of active retail locations paying sales tax each month.
- Names of each retailer and their gross retail sales reported for each month.
We believe that access to these public records is crucial for our role in disseminating information to the public. It allows us to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency. As a media organization, we have also requested a fee waiver under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140.
Our mission at Rock Island Today is to ensure that our readers are well-informed about local governmental affairs. We will continue to use tools like FOIA requests to gather necessary information and report accurately on matters of public interest.