Resident asks La Grange to account for missing commission recordings, cites FOIA concerns

Jonathan Robinson, a La Grange resident who runs the YouTube channel 'Eyes on the Grange,' told trustees on May 11 that he found missing or withheld audio recordings for smaller commissions and alleged the village’s record-archiving practices are inconsistent with public-records requirements.

Robinson said he requested an inventory of available records and then recordings. He said staff provided incomplete files, told him some items were redacted because they were closed meetings despite his on-site presence at those meetings, and that staff referenced older recordings during a November 2025 meeting that were not produced in response to his request. Robinson also said he FOIAed the state’s record-disposal certificates and found none authorizing destruction since 2024, raising concern that recordings may have been discarded without proper authorization.

Robinson asked the board to direct the village manager and village attorney to provide a full accounting of missing recordings and any decisions to withhold, redact or destroy files. He said transparency should be the default and that selective omissions have reduced public trust.

Trustees received the comments and were asked to require staff to explain the availability of archived recordings and the village’s record-disposal practices. The board did not take formal action during the meeting beyond accepting the public comment and noting the request for an accounting.