HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale's battle over its early secrecy of a downtown traffic survey ended up costing more than $3,000.
Hinsdale is among area public bodies that surveyed the public about issues but then tried to keep the results under wraps.
As in the other cases, Hinsdale retreated from its initial legal position.
Late last month, Village Manager Kathleen Gargano signed a settlement with watchdog Edgar Pal, reimbursing him for $1,200 in legal costs.
Pal sued the village for withholding the results of a downtown traffic and pedestrian safety survey.
In fall 2025, Patch was denied the documentation and informed Pal, who has long challenged government secrecy.
Pal filed his own request. The village said the survey results contained anonymous opinions and recommendations, rather than factual information.
It cited the exception for preliminary notes under the state's open records law, known as the Freedom of Information Act.
The village's denial letter stated that attorney Mallory Milluzzi of the Chicago-based Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins law firm was responsible for the decision.
Last November, Pal's attorneys from the Loevy & Loevy law firm sued over the denial.
Shortly after the lawsuit was served on the village, officials released the results.
The village's own legal bills amounted to $1,975, according to records that Pal obtained.
Asked about the settlement Monday, Village President Greg Hart said transparency and public engagement are important for good government.
"At the same time, the Village has an obligation to evaluate requests for information under applicable law, and reasonable legal interpretations can differ," Hart said in an email. "I don't believe that exercising those responsibilities is inconsistent with a commitment to transparency."
He noted the results were shared with the community and Pal at the same time.
Hinsdale was not alone.
Earlier this year, neighboring Clarendon Hills responded to Patch's public records request that it would keep under wraps the results of a survey on a controversial proposed plaza.
When contacted later, the village said it would release the results with redactions. That was after Patch asked about the decision and presented examples of nearby towns that revealed similar data to the public.
Last year, Lyons Township High School denied Patch's request for teacher and student survey data, saying the survey company owned the intellectual property rights to the questions. But the company told Patch its clients were free to disclose the questions.
Patch informed the high school of the company's position, but the school did not respond, so Patch filed a complaint with the attorney general.
Along the way, the school quietly posted all the survey data to its site.
For years, Hinsdale High School District 86 has been publishing its survey results online.
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