In election years, political ads are everywhere – in your mailbox, on radio and TV, and seemingly on every piece of property. With city and county elections, including the school board, signs endorsing one candidate over another are increasing. The Brooksville City Council acknowledged discrepancies between city and county ordinances with regard to what is allowable when it comes to placement and size of the signs.
Steve Gouldman, City Planner for Brooksville, discussed a proposed amendment to Article VII of Brooksville’s Land Development Code after a review of the codes. “Short story is, yeah, we could make them similar. The long story is, it would be a much more complicated process.” Changing the city code to conform to the county would require citizen input and obtaining a recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Gouldman stated the city and county were alike in only two ways: that no permit for political signs is needed, and signs on residential properties can be a maximum of six square feet. And that is where the divergence begins. Hernando County’s code allows for different sizes of signs depending on the property classification (non-residential, commercial, etc.) and the road type and the property frontage width. For political signs, the candidate or committee must research the property for the maximum signage allowed, ask permission of the property owner, and then may post the sign.
Code enforcement, Gouldman said, is largely “complaint based.” Code enforcement officers, however, should be enforcing regulations, especially if they see something as they are driving around. He admitted that can be labor intensive. Historically, one of the largest issues has been signs placed in the right of way.
Political signs can be posted for a total of 100 days – 90 days before an election. By the 10th day after an election, those signs are the responsibility of the candidate and must be removed. Hernando County regulations limit the posting of political signs to 45 days prior to an election and must be removed 14 days after the election. The county also defines election as the single specific date of a primary, general election or special election, designated by law or ordinance. The city does not give a specific definition for the term election. The city will be restricting the timeframe of political sign posting if they follow the county’s regulations.
The other large issue has been the size of signs. The city signage code is simple, Gouldman explained and calls for a maximum of 24 square feet, or a 6 x 4 sign. Plywood is sold in 8 x 4 sheets, or 32 square feet, which means that a person needs to remove 2 feet before it can be used. Gouldman’s proposal with Ordinance Number 865 is to increase the sign maximum to 32 square feet.
The sign code will need an overhaul soon, partially to help with the Main Street development project. Also, Gouldman stated, a United States Supreme Court decision regarding political ads and signage will require all jurisdictions to make changes. City Attorney Tom Hogan stated that approximately three hours of a recent conference was devoted to the SCOTUS decision and how it will affect local communities and first amendment rights.
The first reading was approved by the City Council. The second reading of Ordinance No. 865 amending Article V11 of the Land Development Code will be heard at the 08/15/16 City Council meeting.