City eyeing election signs

Photo: file photo

The City of Penticton is looking to tighten regulations on political signage in advance of the municipal election later this year.

City council voted Tuesday to direct staff to make changes to the signage bylaws governing the election period in the six weeks leading up to the municipal election in October.

Corporate officer Dana Schmidt presented a report recommending limiting signs on public property to eight set locations around the community.

She explained that the existing bylaws are often not followed or understood. Multiple sitting councillors learned themselves for the first time Tuesday political signage its banned from municipal property like the South Okanagan Events Centre or Memorial Arena.

Schmidt said they also have problems with signs going up on utility poles, above the Channel Parkway and in vehicle sight lines.

Coun. Helena Konanz pushed back against the tighter regulations, saying the community should deal with the signage for “just six weeks.”

“Putting limits on signage actually helps incumbents because it limits what new people that are running can do,” she said. “There is some people who run that don’t have a big name in the community who should have a chance to do well.”

Council wasn’t interested in limiting signs to just eight locations as Schmidt suggested, but voted 4 - 3 to abandon the status quo and have staff take another try at a new policy. The new policy will likely involve city bylaw removing non-compliant signs at a greater pace this year.

“At the end of the day, if signage is what gets you or doesn’t get you elected, then things are in a bad place,” Coun. Campbell Watt said.