ARCOLA, IL. (ECWd) –
Will they ever learn? That is the million dollar question.
On April 12, 2014, I submitted a Freedom Of Information Act request to the Township of Arcola requesting the following public records (pdf here):
- Copy of all bid notices, requests for bids, requests for quotes, newspaper notices, and everything else that shows the Township insurance was put out for bid thru the competitive bidding process.
- Copy of all bid, quotes, etc, received from competitive bidding for insurance.
- Copy of meeting minutes where the bids were publicly opened.
- Copy of all payments for insurance for the fiscal year 2013-2014.
- Copy of any statute, law, regulation, ordinance, etc that authorizes the township use public funds for a “scholarship”.
Since the request was sent on a Saturday, they would have officially received it on Monday, April 14, 2014.
The Freedom Of Information Act gives a public body five days to respond to a FOIA request.
The five days start counting the day after it is received.
Today is three days past the five day requirement of FOIA, and I have received nothing in response to the request.
Consequently, I have filed a FOIA Request For Review with the Illinois Attorney General’s office and expect to hear back from them within two or three years, if past experience is an indicator.
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[gview file=”https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Arcola-Township-FOIA-Denial-4-12-2014.pdf” save=”1″]
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On a side note: The FOIA Civil Suit in Douglas County Courthouse, 13-MR-53, is scheduled for May 6, 2014 to hear and hopefully decide on a FOIA denial from early last year.
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8 Comments
Unhappy Taxpayer
Posted at 13:55h, 04 MayI see where Arcola Twp. is in less than desirable company.A post on the Illinois Leaks (ECWD) home page tells about a Lakeland Employee bring terminated because of theft,and then goes on to explain how they have found the same thing in several public bodies,including Arcola Twp.When you click on Arcola Twp.in the article up comes the 4 state trip paid with credit cards from the Arcola Twp.It’s no wonder the Twp. board has a court hearing on Tuesday,again at Taxpayer Expense!
Broom Corn Joni
Posted at 10:55h, 29 AprilFOIA or no FOIA something is going on and the Township is worried.The court date will be the start of their down fall with no where to hide.
who are you kidding
Posted at 15:41h, 28 AprilNot Amused, Judge Lincoln is not deciding anything to do with township spending. He is deciding on violating the foia act and whether they will be required to provide documents requested in FOIA request.
Questions
Posted at 15:03h, 28 Aprilthe four in the picture above make up all of the rules for the township to live by, so Mr. Kraft do not question their authority, that scholarship might get them another vote in the next election. It appears that if you ask pointed questions about every line item in their budget you might have a question. But like Bill Coombe said earlier they have never been questioned before now Illinois Leaks why are you doing it now? There is one more not pictured that is helping, might be hiding under that desk in the back
Not Amused
Posted at 14:23h, 28 AprilI’m sure Judge Lincoln will have something to say about their way of wasting taxpayer money.Yes $48,533.00 is a big number but $191,379.23 is huge for payroll along!How does it get that big,don’t ask me they have only 1 full time employee! DIXON ! ! !
Look in the Mirror
Posted at 08:36h, 28 AprilMotorcycle trips, gas cards, keep no receipts , don’t bid insurance, over spend taxpayer money who is doing all of this to the township. Wait a minute it might be the ones running the township.
Big n Bowdre
Posted at 16:38h, 27 AprilIt’s been posted before how high Arcola Twp. insurance is,maybe now somebody will believe jmkraft.Bowdre’s is about half because we go through TORMIA not our buddies next door.And remember when we were told only 5 Townships in the state didn’t use TORMIA,Arcola is 1 the rest are north in the Chicago area.
Lake Lady
Posted at 07:08h, 26 AprilMark and Deana have always run the Township like it was theirs,what they say goes.Now thanks to the Watchdogs we are learning that huge insurance bill should be bid out,I wonder what the people next door at Dimond Bros.think about that?It’s pretty easy to pad a bill when you know it won’t be questioned,looking foward to 5-6-14.