hereby fully empowered and authorized to examine such public record, and make memoranda and abstracts therefrom during the hours the respective offices are open for the ordinary transaction of business and, unless federal copyright law otherwise provides, obtain copies of public records in accordance with this chapter.

Each government entity or elected or appointed government official shall, during normal business hours, make available to the public for inspection and copying in the manner set forth in this chapter all public records held by that entity or official.

this section:

(1) A written request may be made to the public record officer of the public entity involved. The public record officer shall promptly respond to the written request but in no event later than ten business days from receipt of the request. The public record officer shall respond to the request by:

(a) Providing the record in whole or in part to the requestor upon payment of any applicable fees pursuant to §§ 1-27-35 and 1-27-36.

(b) Denying the request for the record; or

(c) Acknowledging that the public record officer has received the request and providing an estimate of the time reasonably required to further respond thereto;

(2) Additional time to respond to the written request under subsection (1)(c) of this section may be based upon the need to clarify the nature and scope of the written request, to locate and assemble the information requested, to notify any third persons or government agencies affected by the written request, or to determine whether any of the information requested is not subject to disclosure and whether a denial should be made as to all or part of the written request;

(3) If a written request is unclear, the public record officer may require the requestor to clarify which records are being sought. If the requestor fails to provide a written response to the public record officer’s request for clarification within ten business days, the request shall be deemed withdrawn and no further action by the public records officer is required;

(4) If the public record officer denies a written request in whole or in part, the denial shall be accompanied by a written statement of the reasons for the denial;

(5) If the public record officer fails to respond to a written request within ten business days, or fails to comply with the estimate provided under subsection (1)(3) of this section without provision of a revised estimate, the request shall be deemed denied.

document or record upon payment of the actual cost of mailing or transmittal, the actual cost of reproduction, or other fee established by statute or administrative rule. A requestor that makes an informal request requiring the dedication of staff time in excess of one hour may be required to pay the cost of the staff time necessary for the location, assembly, or reproduction of the public record. If any records are required or permitted to be made public upon request and no other rate is prescribed for reproduction or retrieval of such records, the Bureau of Administration shall establish, by rules promulgated pursuant to chapter 1-26, the maximum rate, or the formula for calculating rates, for reproduction and retrieval.

entitled thereto by returning such as he may not have collected, with the indorsement thereon of the words “No property found,” and by paying to such officer or his legal successor the amount of all not so returned. If he fail so to do, judgment may be obtained, on motion, against such sheriff or collector, and his sureties, and his and their personal representatives, for the amount with which such sheriff or collector is chargeable, and damages thereon, not exceeding fifteen per cent per annum, from said first day of July until payment. Such judgment may be on motion in the circuit court of the county in which such sheriff or collector resides, and if the fees be due to the Clerk of the Supreme Court of Appeals, it may be in the circuit court of the county in which the seat of government may be. On such motion, any receipt for fees mentioned in the notice as signed by any person shall be deemed to be his signature unless an affidavit be filed denying it, and shall be prima facie evidence of the collection of all the fees mentioned therein, not returned as aforesaid.

tribunal in lieu thereof, the State Tax Commissioner or any individual, of all sums charged or collected by such officers on account of official fees, costs, percentages, penalties, commissions, allowances, compensation, income and all other perquisites of whatever kind, and such book of accounts shall be a part of the records of the respective offices herein named belonging to the county, and shall be transmitted by each county officer to his successor in office. The system of books and accounts to be kept by the officers herein named shall be prescribed by the State Tax Commissioner, ex officio inspector and supervisor of public offices.