Of course, that is exactly what the United States-based mayor of Columbia, in Illinois, did when he dropped in on a Dunedin City Council meeting while on a visit to the city yesterday.
Mr Hutchinson and his wife, Paula, arrived in Dunedin on the cruise ship Seven Seas Voyager yesterday morning, staying overnight as part of a 17-day tour of Australia and New Zealand.
They were planning to take in the city's attractions, but Mr Hutchinson's civic curiosity got the better of him when he saw a sign pointing to the council chambers.
Minutes later he was shaking hands with councillors and having his photograph taken with Mayor Dave Cull.
''I figured, if the mayor was in, it would be fun to meet the mayor,'' Mr Hutchinson explained with a grin yesterday.
He said there were many similarities between the councils of Dunedin and his own town, which was home to about 10,800 people, but he was enjoying his time in ''this beautiful country''.
''We love it. The town square and the city here is gorgeous.
''You've got a beautiful city and obviously the mayor and the city council are doing a great job,'' he said.
