SEBASTIAN — Beginning today, qualified candidates for the Sebastian City Council election can start posting their campaign signs around town, though the current city council would rather they didn’t.
The Sebastian City Council Wednesday night approved changes to its political signs ordinance, which will allow campaign signs to be posted as early as the first day of qualifying. The qualifying period runs from Aug. 25 to Sept. 9.
“I have grave (concerns) in making a change,” Vice Mayor Don Wright said, adding that he has been swayed by City Attorney Robert Ginsburg’s arguments that the ordinance’s timeframe needed be expanded.
“I am concerned with sign clutter,” Wright said, speaking as a city resident. He said that if the ordinance were to pass, he feared the city would indeed be cluttered with signs.
Weighing the issue, he said he understands incumbents have an advantage over challengers in terms of name recognition that he has an “overwhelming” concern regarding limiting free speech.
Wright, along with Councilwoman Andrea Coy and Councilman Eugene Wolff, are up for re-election this November. So far, they have not turned in the qualifying paperwork needed to run in the election.
Sebastian resident Amber Miller has pre-qualified for the race and once she turns in the final paperwork, she would be allowed to start posting her campaign signs, if she so chooses to do so.
The Sebastian City Council voted 3-0 in favor of amending the political sign ordinance to expand the amount of time the signs can be posted. Mayor Jim Hill and Wolff had excused absences from the meeting.
Wright, Coy and Councilman Richard Gillmor approved the ordinance, adding that they would like staff to encourage candidates wait until 30 days out from the November election before posting the signs.
City Attorney Ginsburg said the city could so encourage candidates but it would be up to candidates whether they wished to follow the council’s request.