FOIA Request to Cook County regarding procurement bids and RFP submissions on February 1, 2026.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Cook County by Chicago City Wire, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive news coverage on local governmental affairs. The request, dated February 1, 2026, seeks access to records related to procurement bids and responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) received by the county during the immediately preceding calendar month.
The specific information requested includes solicitation or project titles, names of bidders or proposers, submission dates, bid amounts or proposed costs, and descriptions of the goods or services proposed. The request emphasizes that it is limited to existing records and does not necessitate the creation of new documents. Chicago City Wire has expressed a preference for receiving these records in electronic format if available.
In their request, Chicago City Wire also highlighted their role as a member of the media involved in gathering and reporting news to the public. They emphasized that access to public records is crucial for fulfilling their professional responsibilities, which include holding public institutions accountable and ensuring transparency. Additionally, they have requested a fee waiver based on their status as media professionals.
The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws. More information about this organization can be found on their website here.
Cook County is located in Illinois and had an average student-to-teacher ratio of 14-to-1 during the 2022-23 school year. The county’s schools enrolled 672,009 students with 48,761 full-time faculty members.
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.
