Local officials see little impact in new campaign sign law

State Sen. Chris Lauzen has always made sure to take down his campaign signs the day after an election.

And he said that practice isn't going to change in the face of a new state law that strips municipalities of the power to regulate how long campaign signs can stay up in a resident's yard. This November's election will be the last election before the new law takes effect Jan. 1.

"I think it was reasonable for communities to have certain rules about campaign signs," said Lauzen, R-Aurora. "Hopefully candidates will still  ... police themselves."

Gov. Pat Quinn signed the bill into law in June to bring Illinois into compliance with a 1994 U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming that political signs are protected free speech under the U.S. Constitution.

"Government has no place restricting free speech," Quinn said after signing the legislation.

Under the new law, municipalities will still be able to place "reasonable restrictions" on the size of such signs.

Rules on campaign signs vary from community to community. In May, Batavia got rid of its time restrictions on campaign signs as part of a zoning code update.

"We tried to craft our new code to make it reasonable and legal," said Joel Strassman, the city's planning and zoning officer. "Our code is in compliance with the latest action by the state.

Previously, political campaign signs could be displayed a maximum of 60 days in residential yards in Batavia and had to be removed 48 hours after an election.

The city still restricts how large the signs can be. A ground sign can't be more than 32 square feet in area. And they can only be placed on private property and not on fences, trees, utility poles or in the public right-of-way.

Batavia code compliance officer Rhonda Klecz said she hopes the new law won't result in campaign signs remaining up and cluttering up a neighborhood.

"Granted, everybody has a voice, but is that something you want to look at?" Klecz asked. "I think that after a campaign, people are pretty much done with it. I don't think they would want all that in their yards."

Batavia resident Craig Foltos also hopes the new law won't result in signs staying up longer. Foltos said he hates looking at campaign signs.

"I want to see the green grass, not a bunch of signs," Foltos said.

St. Charles doesn't have restrictions on political signs, other than they can't be placed in the public right-of-way.

However, there has been an unwritten policy among candidates to put up political signs no more than 45 to 60 days before an election and to take them down within a week after an election, St. Charles Mayor Don DeWitte said.

"Most candidates do their best to adhere to that," DeWitte said. "Unfortunately, I think that campaign signs are a necessary evil in the campaign process."

Elburn building and zoning enforcement officer Jim Stran said he will have to review the new law. But he doesn't think the law will add to clutter or cause other problems.

"I don't see people wanting to keep them up," Stran said. "I don't know if we will see that great of an impact from it."

Elburn's current rules stipulate that political signs can't be put up more than 60 days before an election and have to be removed within six days after an election.

Signs are allowed in both residential and business districts, but they cannot be more than 32 square feet in area or six feet in height, Stran said.

Like the other municipalities, Sugar Grove also prohibits signs from being put in the public right-of-way or attached to fences, trees or utility poles.

He doesn't see campaign signs staying up year-round because of the new law.

"I don't think it will be an issue," Eichelberger said. "I think it will resolve itself regardless of what the law is."

In Geneva, candidates can't post political signs on public property or utility poles or trees, and they can't remain up more than five days after an election.

Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns said state leaders should be addressing the state's financial crisis rather than be worried about how long campaign signs are up.

But he doesn't see the new law causing any problems for the city.

"We don't have many issues now," Burns said. "Most of the candidates are respectful. If not, we swoop in and make sure they are abiding by the rules."