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Fees Raised
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Posted by Wally on 7/19/2007 12:59: IP: 12-214-166-153.client.mchsi.com
Below is an article that was printed in the RRStar regarding a village that raised fees for copies requested under the FOIA. I think it is a good lesson for anyone involved in small town politics - you can't just do whatever you want.
CALEDONIA — Scrutiny for raising the rates for Freedom of Information Act copies has led the village to reduce the fee to its original cost.
At a March 20 meeting, trustees voted to increase the cost of FOIA requests from 15 cents to $1 a page.
Critics of the decision said the increase in rates was a scheme to prevent the release of public documents
After raising the price, village officials received a letter from the Illinois attorney general’s office, warning the village to be prepared to justify the $1 rate. The Citizen Advocacy Center, a government watchdog group, also advised against the fee hike.
On Tuesday, the Village Board approved the rate cut.
“FOIAs are an extremely important document for the public,” trustee Mary Walraven said. “Whether you disagree or agree with what their intentions are, or what they are looking for, or whether you even know what they’re looking for ... that’s just something we have to do.”
Trustees left the non-FOIA copy fee rate at $1 per copy, which trustee Jack Nicholson said was based on treasurer and clerk copy fees.
“It’s too bad the village isn’t in charge of its own destiny and can’t set their own fees, but Big Brother says you have to do it this way,” Nicholson said.
The Boone County Circuit Clerk’s office charges $2 for the first page, 50 cents for the following 19 pages and 25 cents for each page after.
Poplar Grove charges 20 cents per copy for FOIAs.
In Timberlane the charge is 15 cents per copy, though Village President Steve Rapp says it is rarely an issue because information is available on the village’s Web site.