Peoria Standard

In what a frustrated government watchdog group headlined as "breaking news" on its website, Carlinville responded recently to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request within the mandatory five-day time frame.

FOIA officer and City Clerk Carla Brockmeier fulfilled a request by a writer for Bloomington Normal News for a payroll report on all city employees. The Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW) have argued for months that Brockmeier has failed to respond to several FOIA requests from them.

“Meanwhile, the crickets are still churping waiting on those credit card statements the city has been hiding from the public’s watchful eye…oh, and the two CDs the FOIA Officer supposedly mailed, but by now everyone knows we were lied to, during a public meeting, about the CDs being mailed out," the group posted on its Illinois Leaks website. "What will the next excuse be?"

The ECW's battles with Carlinville began with requests for the city’s credit card and cell phone statements. While the city has responded to some requests, the group is still waiting on other information and some responses that the city has said are in the mail.