Tired of streets littered with election lawn signs promoting political wannabes?
Sault Ste. Marie city council will be asked next week to ban all federal, provincial and municipal election signs on public property.
Rachel Tyczinski, city clerk, and Melanie Borowicz-Sibenik, assistant city solicitor and senior litigation counsel, will also recommend election signs be prohibited in city parks.
They'll also be pushing for bans on illuminated or flashing signs.
Their recommendation responds to a resolution drafted in Jan. 2023 by Ward 1 Couns. Sandra Hollingsworth and Sonny Spina, suggesting limits on the number of election signs and imposition of election sign permits.
Currently, the Sault allows election signs but requires they be removed within 72 hours after the polls close on election day.
"The city receives numerous complaints regarding election signs on public property during municipal, provincial, and federal election cycles," Tyczinski and Borowicz-Sibenik said in a report prepared for Mayor Matthew Shoemaker and ward councillors.
"Complaints are more acute when an election cycle falls during winter months (signs on snowbanks, lines of sight, etc.) There are also issues with election signs not being removed from public property after voting day. Removal of election signs creates an additional burden for public works."
The city also currently requires that election signs placed on any municipal property must not create a hazard to vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
"The City of London does not allow election signs on public property or within a park," the report said.
"Thunder Bay, Kingston, St. Catharines, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville, Sarnia, and Hamilton do not allow election signs on public property. The City of Guelph does not allow election signs on public property, property owned by the Province of Ontario, or within a park."
Tyczinski and Borowicz-Sibenik will recommend that Sault Ste. Marie prohibit election signs on public property and within parks to reduce safety hazards to pedestrian and vehicular traffic and potential visual clutter.
Next week's city council meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday starting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Sault's council meetings are usually held on Mondays, but next week's meeting will be on Tuesday to allow council members, city staff and the public to vote in Monday's federal election.