Clarksville, TN
We need standard campaign sign codes
The election campaigns for this year are coming up sooner than you think. That's why Vickie Koelman, administrator of elections with the Election Commission, wants changes in the city's and county's campaign signs codes. Basically, the Election Commission is recommending the local codes be brought into line with state law regarding campaign signs.
In 2006, confusion ruled among county candidates and their supporters regarding sign erection and removal. The county Building and Codes Department sent candidates a letter saying signs couldn't be erected sooner than 60 days before the election and had to be removed five days after. Koelman's office received numerous calls from people wondering if the 60-day period started with the first day of early voting or election day itself.
Moreover, the county's five-day limit to remove the signs was much stricter than the state's three-week limit — which put the county at odds with the state. As Koelman explained, a county can't be more stringent than the state is. As far as the city's sign code goes, it does not have any time frames at all for erecting and removing election signs.
The Election Commission is first taking its recommendation for city and county sign code amendments to the Regional Planning Commission. From there, they would go to the City Council and County Commission.
Under the recommendation, signs could be erected beginning on the day a candidate qualifies for the ballot. The signs then would need to be picked up within three weeks of an election.
The local bodies are urged to approve the changes. They would help to end confusion, and no one would have an excuse any longer for having a sign
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080102/OPINION01/801020305
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