SEBASTIAN — The Sebastian City Council is looking again at its rules for when political campaign signs can be posted along roadways. The city’s attorney raised the issue after the council initially rejected extending the timeframe.
City Attorney Robert Ginsburg has recommended that the city change its rules from 30 days prior to the election to 75 days – the first day for official qualifying for the municipal race.
According to Ginsburg, the 30-day timeframe is unconstitutional and the 75-day span would be more defensible in the event a court case were brought.
“Certain issues that come before you, you have control,” Ginsburg told the council. “Certain issues you can’t.”
He explained that the courts and law do extend some power to municipalities to limit political campaign signs – but the timeframe is one issue that the courts have remained unclear about.
“The courts take this very seriously,” Ginsburg said of political free speech and First Amendment, which are used as defenses for political campaign signs.
While the Sebastian City Council unanimously supported moving the 75-day ordinance forward to the second and final reading, not all members support 75 days.
“I have some grave concerns,” Mayor Jim Hill said, echoing concerns he raised in May.
He said that while he understands where Ginsburg is coming from in trying to put the city in a more defensible position, he believes Sebastian is a “special community” with “special circumstances” that outweigh the need for a longer time period for political signs.
“I do believe our hands are tied on this,” Hill added.
Vice Mayor Don Wright said that his own research showed that other states have different rules for posting political signs with no clear consensus on how long the signs should be out prior to an election.
He said Ginsburg’s recommendation of 75 days “seems reasonable.”
“I’m certainly not thrilled” of a longer timeframe, Wright added.
Councilwoman Andrea Coy said the council needs more time to read through the material provided by Ginsburg before making a decision.
“We have to protect ourselves,” she said.
Coy also said that the public has become very vocal about the sheer number of signs around the city to the extent the signs are beginning to have a negative impact.
“I think it’s trash on the street,” she said of political campaign signs.
Ginsburg plans to bring the issue before the Sebastian City Council during the Aug. 24 meeting for another public hearing and final reading of the ordinance.
“I have not changed my opinion,” Hill said, explaining that he would vote in favor of moving the ordinance forward though he doesn’t support it. “I’m not done with this yet.”
