Independence County Watchdog

Holding local government accountable through transparency, public records, and civic engagement.

FOIA Requests Filed

Overdue Responses

Public Documents

Officials Listed

FOIA Accountability Scorecard

How quickly do officials respond to public records requests?

Jessica Davis (City Clerk)

7/15 fulfilled

Tracey Mitchell (County Clerk)

6/12 fulfilled 🚫 1 denied

Daniel Haney (County Attorney)

2/5 fulfilled

Shawn Stephens (Sheriff)

0/2 fulfilled 🚫 2 denied

Kevin Jeffery (County Judge)

5/14 fulfilled ⚠️ 1 disputed

View all FOIA requests →

By the Numbers

Every number below is sourced from public records obtained through FOIA.

$59,678,027

Total city vendor payments, 2025

700 vendors. Up 73.8% from 2024

See where it went →

$34,332,409

Total city vendor payments, 2024

702 vendors paid from Batesville city accounts

Compare year over year →

$22,765,086

TOLM Group: largest city vendor (2025)

Water Treatment Plant. Up 915% from $2.24M in 2024

Follow the money →

$879,123

VFW building condemnation (total cost)

Independent appraisal valued the property at $3,425

Read the details →

The Paper Ballot Fight: Citizens vs. Government

A timeline of how Independence County citizens fought for paper ballots, won at every level of court and at the ballot box, and how government officials fought back.

Citizens' Initiative Government Resistance Legal Victories Election Victory Federal Action

Mar 24

Jun 24

Sep 24

Dec 24

Mar 25

Jun 25

Sep 25

Dec 25

Mar 26

Read the full story →