So I went to our city hall today, the only place where I can access city ordinances. I asked the city secretary to see them, knowing what was coming.

"Well, what do you want to look up?"

Frankly, it was none of her BUSINESS what I wanted to look up. You cannot expect someone to follow a law if they don't have access to look up that law without a de facto Fifth Amendment violation in TELLING the city secretary what they are looking up. AT any rate, I was looking up a number of laws, both for my intentions, and for potential defense against nosy neighbors on the premise that selective enforcement is a form of discrimination.

This secretary, however, has a reputation of being the town gossip. She doesn't even live in the town, but as secretary, wields a great deal of influence over the city council's votes, something I intend to be a part of changing when I'm eligible to run for city council next year. So any ordinance I would tell her I was looking for would lead to a bit of back door investigating as to what I could POSSIBLY be doing that might have me wondering about said city ordinance. Hence my belief that this falls under the fifth amendment.

But, I DID find in the ordinances a law under which I could press for her dismissal or at least her censure if I DO get on the city council (if the current council doesn't clean this up for me): that is the "public records" ordinance (I am SURE there are state laws that apply as well, but I'm not trying to get her into any CRMINAL trouble, mind you). The ordinance specifically states that the ordinances and other city papers are public property and must be treated as such. Limited access doesn't constitute treating them as public papers.

Ahhh, the joys of life in a small town.