Winner Litter: Campaign Signs Still Posted on Local Streets

It's been a week since the Nov. 8 General Election passed, but political signs begging for your vote on Initiative 1183 or and El Jahncke still dot many of the city's roads and byways.

The, like many cities in the state, passed an ordinance regulating where and how large temporary signs can be placed — such as the ever-present "sandwich board". But unlike , city hall won't fine violators. In fact, they'll clear up the mess free-of-charge.

Since late June, campaign signs have been springing up like daisies along Island Crest Way, 76th Avenue SE and SE 24th Street, competing for space at one point with replicas of the festivites. And the signs are still there: On Tuesday, a solitary campaign sign still stood at Tuesday; and King County Council candidate still had signs out at ; and signs to approve I-1183 to privatize liquor sales were still posted at several Island intersections. But the city does not have a way to enforce the 90-day limit for displaying a political sign, as spelled out in Mercer Island Municipal Code 19.06.020 § 6.

The reason, said Deputy City Manager Glenn Boettcher, is because the city prefers to rely on a "good neighbor" policy, rather than levy fines. On the city's website, political campaigns are asked to take down the signs within 48 hours of an election. The city typically waits about a week for campaigns to collect them, and then a city employee is sent out for part of the day to collect the stragglers as a service to the community. Political campaign signs picked up by City are then available at the City Hall's loading dock for the campaign committee to pickup.

Boettcher said the remaining signs should be taken down by the end of today, Nov. 15.

"It's the community's expectation that these signs are removed," he said. "We don't take a heavy-handed approach."

If residents still see campaign signs, city hall is encouraging them to contact the appropriate campaign, or contact the city's Code Enforcement Officer at 206-275-7709.