City residents are expressing their support for City Council candidates with signs in their yards, but many are in excess of the two allowed by the city Zoning Ordinance.
City Manager Jonathan Smith recommended the city not enforce the ordinance until it can be rewritten, based on consultation with the city attorney.
“There have been many lawsuits in this country in recent years challenging the enforceability of sign ordinances based on content, such as political signs,” Smith said in an email. “In June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that sign ordinances that apply different standards based on the sign content are a violation of the Freedom of Speech First Amendment and are therefore unconstitutional and unenforceable.”