Charging a nominal fee is fine. Many agencies and departments do this. Nothing wrong with that. Some places may be $1, some may be $2.50 or even $5, which is high but still in that "I gotta have it, here's five bucks" range.

Some have taken it to obscene levels, though, such as $25 or more per copy. That's incredibly outrageous, of course, in today's electronic era when things can be easily called up and printed. The high prices are nothing but blatant attempts to deter, usually from Tiny Town Asshole Agency-Mayor-Chief-Boss-Secretary, to try to get what they believe is the "nosy public" from "snooping" in public business.

I know of a small city that reportedly pays its administrative assistants (secretaries) in the high five figures. To get the salary records -- which are public record -- would indeed require a lawsuit because the city wouldn't hand them over. But they're public records for anyone to see.

Transparency shouldn't be this difficult, yet it always is.