Thieves target candidate signs

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet File Photo

Councillor candidate, Charlie Hodge, claims more than two dozen of his election signs have been stolen

Kelowna City Council candidate Charlie Hodge is being targeted by sign thieves - yet again.

“I have lost 26 campaign signs in the last three days, including one large one stolen from my driveway,” a frustrated Hodge said Monday morning.

“I am a tad miffed, to say the least.  The 26 missing do not include one large and two small ones near the University that were obviously put on taboo territory. Silly me I followed the crowd and put them up with other ones on the site.

“I am choked since this is the second straight campaign where I have had a significant number of signs stolen or vandalized,” Hodge explains. During the 2008 campaign Hodge had more than 40 signs disappear.

“I am going to offer $100 to anyone that can catch these folks in action.”

Hodge says he is not a huge sign fan however, saying, “they are pretty much a necessary evil in a municipal election in Kelowna. That is why I chose a small, narrow sign in design.” 

Hodge adds that he would, “like to believe it is not personal and just random, however most of them have disappeared from amongst a myriad of other people’s campaign signs.  A fellow candidate has very similar small signs, often in the same location, and he has not lost any - so it is not about sign size.

I can understand losing two or three to kids or silly adults, however 23 already with a week to go, is... sad.

“I was hoping this election would be different. If anyone finds a pile in a dumpster or in a ditch please let me know,” Hodge says.