Peoria Standard

FOIA Request to Woodford County regarding tax relief requests for a veteran with disabilities on June 10, 2025.

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Woodford County by Peoria Standard, a media organization dedicated to covering local governmental affairs. The request seeks records related to property tax relief and exemptions for veterans with disabilities and their surviving spouses for the tax year 2024 through the present. Specifically, the request includes:

1. Documents showing individuals who requested or received Property Tax Relief as a Veteran with a Disability or as a Surviving Spouse of a Disabled Veteran.

2. Documents showing individuals who requested or received a Specially Adapted Housing Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities, in accordance with Illinois statute 35 ILCS 200/15-165.

3. Documents showing individuals who requested or received a Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities, pursuant to Illinois statute 35 ILCS 200/15-169.

4. Documents showing individuals who requested or received a Returning Veteran’s Homestead Exemption, under Illinois statute 35 ILCS 200/15-172.

The Peoria Standard emphasized the importance of access to public records in fulfilling its role of holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. The organization has also requested a fee waiver based on its status as a media professional entity.

The requester is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, which assists news media companies and advocacy groups in investigating government agencies using FOIA and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found at this link.

Woodford County, located in Illinois, had an average student-to-teacher ratio of 14-to-1 during the 2022-23 school year, with over seven thousand students enrolled 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.