City clarifies rules regarding political signs

The City of Laredo clarified Friday misconceptions and misunderstandings on political signs, saying there is often confusion about what is and isn’t allowed.
“The City of Laredo’s sign ordinance was enacted to improve pedestrian and traffic safety; to protect property values; the local economy; and the quality of life by preserving and enhancing the appearance of the streetscape, and to enable the fair and consistent enforcement of the regulations,” a news release states. “Each political season, this office sends all local candidates information on the applicable sign regulations and provides them with contact information for asking questions and making complaints.”
The Highway Beautification Act requires that campaign signs on private property adjacent to any interstate or primary state highway system be posted no earlier than 90 days before an election and be removed within 10 days after the election.
However, for all other standard political signs on private property, state law prohibits a city from regulating signs based solely on their political content.
“Additional First Amendment protections are afforded to signs with a noncommercial or political message. The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly invalidated any city ordinance that attempted to severely regulate these signs on residential property,” the City of Laredo said. “However, ordinances that attempt to neutrally regulate all signs in furtherance of a compelling municipal interest, such as aesthetics, have been upheld.”
The City of Laredo requires all signs on private property that promotes a time, event, message, business or purpose to be removed within 14 days after the issue is decided, the event has taken place or the establishment has gone out of business.
A candidate is free to post political signs on private property with the owner’s consent at any time before an election but he or she must remove these within 14 days after an election or runoff.
A city does have the authority to regulate and prohibit signs in its rights-of-way, including political signs, at any time.
A sign owner must request a city’s permission before a sign may be legally placed in a city’s right-of-way. A city may choose to regulate a sign’s placement in the city’s rights-of-way. Absent city regulation, state law generally prohibits signs in city rights-of-way. However, for First Amendment reasons, a city may not prohibit all political signs in the rights-of-way and allow other types of signs.
The City of Laredo does not allow any signs on its right-of-ways at any time

Source by : http://www.lmtonline.com/front-news/article_8b5e64ec-ee26-11e5-8bfa-1b8244859f9e.html

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