Sumpter Township will continue to stringently enforce the current ordinance governing the installation of political signs in the municipality.
Board Trustee Peggy Morgan questioned the provisions of the ordinance during the Sept. 13 study session preceding the regular board meeting. She contended that provisions of the ordinance had not been previously enforced and questioned recent efforts of the police and ordinance officer to require candidates to restrict political signs to the timeframe required by the ordinance
Morgan contended that it has always been the practice of candidates successful in primary elections to leave their signs up until after the general election. She insisted that this had been the practice for several years and that candidates had until five days after the general election to remove the signs.
Director of Public Safety Eric Luke explained that this was not the case and that the township ordinance specifically limited the time frame for the installation and removal of political signs.
“The ordinance is clear. I follow the ordinance. Signs will not go up more than 30 days prior to an election and they must be taken down within five days after,” Luke said. He explained that he recently assigned the township ordinance officer to prepare a list of all political signs found around the township from multiple candidates. Each of the candidates was contacted, Luke said, and the ordinance explained.
“I asked them to pick them (the signs) up,” he said.
“Well, if that's the case I would like to change that because we've never pulled up the signs before,” Morgan insisted.
Her contention was challenged, however, by Trustee Matt Oddy who explained that during his campaign in 2016, his signs had to be removed after the primary election and then returned 30 days before the general election.
“I would disagree with you,” he told Morgan, “Since I did it myself.” He explained that he personally had to remove and then replace his signs to comply with the township ordinance.
He also commented that he and Luke had a conversation about this issue as there had been complaints about some of the divisive presidential election signs still in place in the township.
He added that there was some confusion regarding signs for Donald Trump who has not declared his candidacy for 2024. “He’s not officially a candidate so the political status of those signs would be in question,” Oddy said.
As Oddy attempted to explain the ordinance provisions, Morgan interrupted him mid-sentence asking someone in the audience how long the person had lived in the township.
“Fifty-one years,” was the response. Morgan then demanded to know from the long-time resident in the audience if winning primary candidate signs had ever been removed prior to the general election. She appeared surprised to learn that this was indeed the usual procedure.
Luke reiterated the conditions of the the township ordinance and reminded Morgan again that it was his responsibility to “follow the law.”
Luke added that the local Sumpter Township ordinance regarding political signs differs from other municipalities. “Some do not have any restrictions or have a longer time frame before and after elections,” he said.
Trustee Don LaPorte noted that the township might have to make some changes to the ordinance in light of the changes in voting procedures including mail-in ballots which are usually submitted much earlier than election day.
“People don't stand in line at polls for hours and hours anymore,” he said.
