Illegal campaign signs dot south Scottsdale

In the last three weeks, Scottsdale has confiscated nearly 20 illegally placed political campaign signs spread throughout the southern portion of the city.

Scarpsdale: Those signs mean only one thing

The signs, positioned along major roads in violation of restrictions the city approved in March 2007, belong to state Rep. Mark Anderson, R-Mesa, challenging incumbent Democrat Harry Mitchell for Arizona's 5th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives; and state Reps. David Schapira and Ed Ableser, both D-Tempe, both seeking re-election.

Raun Keagy, Scottsdale's neighborhood services director, who oversees the city's code enforcement division, said officers removed about 10 signs Wednesday in response to inquiries from the Tribune.

"The first thing you do is go out and determine if it's in the right of way," Keagy said, referring to publicly owned land along the city's roads. "If it is, it's gone."

According to city law, code enforcement officers can remove campaign signs immediately if the signs have been placed on public property. The city then notifies a campaign when one of its signs have been yanked, and gives them a week to come pick it up and reposition it in a legal manner. If the sign isn't claimed, it can be destroyed, Keagy said.

Signs larger than 2 feet in height are banned within a 25-by-25-foot triangle on street corners because they can affect motorists' visibility, he said.

"If there's a sign in that triangle, it's going to have to go," Keagy said.

The city also recommends signs be placed at least 15 feet away from the curb along public streets to ensure the signs are outside the bounds of public property.

Code enforcement officers actively look for campaign signs violating city law, he said. Officers also respond to complaints from residents. "I think Anderson was one of the first ones we were getting calls on," Keagy said.

Candidates and campaign representatives said they are eager to comply with Scottsdale's laws, and are attempting to work out the snags.

"I wasn't aware any of my signs were placed in an illegal way, but, of course, I'd be happy to fix them," Schapira said.

Ned Anderson, Mark Anderson's son, said his father's campaign respects the city's laws.

"It's kind of a learning process, but we're working on it," he said.

Keagy said signs on private property that violate the law, such as those that do not have the proper tags or exceed size limits, can be removed, as well. That would only be done if a campaign did not comply within 48 hours of a city-issued violation notice, he said.

Repeated failure to comply with campaign sign laws could mean a $250 civil citation for the offending campaign, Keagy said.

"If they're slow learners, we're going to write citations," he said.

Scottsdale has a history of attempting to crack down on campaign signs. In 2002, the city considered strengthening the law to outlaw all signs in public rights of way, but there was no political will to take action. In 2004, the City Council opted not to vote on a proposal to ban political signs, thereby killing the measure.