Quesnel to Limit Political Signs
Quesnel, B.C. – Political candidates will need to learn to be more creative when it comes to campaigning in Quesnel.
This after Quesnel City Council decided to adopt a new political sign bylaw at its public meeting last night.
The law will allow for six political campaign signs per candidate on public land during municipal, provincial, and federal elections and will require candidates to remove political campaign signs three days after General Voting Day.
According to Council the regulations in the bylaw will:
- Create equal opportunity for all candidates
- Maintain community aesthetics
- Promote environmental sustainability
- Reduce administrative burden and costs
- Reduce campaign workload and potential conflict
Earlier this year Mayor Bob Simpson told 250News that it only made sense considering a city bylaw restricts people who put up signs for garage sales and restricts commercial operators on the signage they can have.
“We also invest hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in our beautification efforts and as we were having a discussion about the sign bylaw, it was pointed out to us and we realized there’s one class of citizens who get a pass – politicians. Politicians give themselves a pass when it comes to their signs.”
He also said Quesnel is one of the first B.C. communities to enact such a law.
“Whistler’s municipal candidates did it voluntarily in the last election in their downtown core and they’re looking about how they might formalize that,” said Simpson. “Terrace is actually putting in a bit of a restrictive sign bylaw we look at as well.”
In June, Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall said while a restrictive sign bylaw is not on his city’s agenda at the moment he hasn’t closed the door on the idea.
“I’m open to the discussion. It isn’t a priority we have on our list of things to do but we’re certainly open for discussion on it.”
Comments
I think for Prince George, that would be a wonderful thing.
If politicians would police themselves, it wouldn’t be a problem but as it is and has been its just getting to the point of real visual pollution during elections.
All political signs need to go thru a process. Where each candidate is allowed to have so many 4′ x 8′ signs, so many 4′ x 4′ signs, as well as so many of those plastic signage. They also need to make application for each location. Of course there will be a cost involved with this permit application to put up a sign, as well a 3 week process.
Garage Sales and bakes sales signage. They should also fall with in the same parameters, where they need to apply to put up a sign. Every sign needs to have a address, date of when the event is to take place. If the signs do not have either, than it gets torn down by the bylaw officer. If they had not registered to put up the sign, than it will be torn down. There will be a $100 fee. If all the signs are taken down with in 3 days of the event, than the city will return 75 dollars. If not, the city keeps the money. Just tired of people taping signs to the poles and not taking them down.
Mayor Lyn Hall says he has not closed the door on the idea but I think he needs to get the door open ASAP. We don’t need taxpayer dollars being used removing signs so the City can cut the grass.
I would seriously consider voting for ANY candidate that voluntarily followed Quesnel’s bylaw requirements.
It’s the same reason that I would cast my vote for Gillian Merrick and her hand made signs in the last civic election.
yeah, I got stung with the Jillian vote too, won’t make that mistake again!
For the love of God please adopt this federally, provincially, and locally everywhere.
The ONLY people who like the signs are the sign manufacturers.
I don’t mind a few signs but 30 to the block is a little overboard.
How about 100 signs per candidate,
inside city limits,
no bigger than 2 feet x 3 feet, ( 1/2 meter x 1 meter)
that way they have to give some though as to where to put them, and then they shouldn’t have any trouble remembering where they are when it comes time to take them down.
none would always be better but I think we may need a few or else how do we know who not to vote for?
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