City crews are removing more illegally placed election signs so far during this municipal campaign than they have in years past, Mississauga officials say.
On Monday alone, the first day of election sign bylaw enforcement, City of Mississauga workers “removed approximately 250 illegally placed election signs from locations throughout the city,” city spokesperson Irene McCutcheon told INSAUGA Canada.
Crews have continued that work the past few days, with city officials noting various campaign teams — working on behalf of mayoral, city council and school board candidates — have placed signs in locations that violate Mississauga’s sign bylaw.
“Although not confirmed through a review of past data, it appears that the number of illegally placed election signs during the first few days of the election sign period is higher than in past elections,” McCutcheon said.
City officials didn’t single out any candidates or election teams in particular, saying “staff have collected non-compliant signs associated with a variety of campaigns.
“Enforcement is focused on compliance with the sign bylaw and is applied consistently, regardless of the candidate or campaign.”
No egregious safety concerns so far
While the confiscated signs were placed in locations where they shouldn’t go, McCutcheon said that as of Thursday, “we are not aware of any signs placed causing egregious safety concerns.”
Mayor Carolyn Parrish asked senior city staff this week about enforcing the sign bylaw as it relates to candidates’ election signage. She noted a number of signs belonging to the campaign of her predecessor and main rival in the contentious mayoral election, Bonnie Crombie, were illegally placed as of early Sunday morning, the first day signs were allowed.
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Crombie told INSAUGA Canada on Thursday some signs were improperly placed by inexperienced people volunteering with her campaign and that it “took a couple of days to correct it.”
She added her campaign team briefed all volunteers on sign placement rules beforehand, but that some may have been a bit too exuberant.
10 crews out daily in search of illegally placed signs
Sam Rogers, the city’s commissioner of transportation and works, said “10 dedicated crews are out on the streets Monday to Friday proactively patrolling” all roads, searching for illegally placed campaign signs and responding to any complaints received.
Once crews remove illegal signs, they’re brought back to a city works yard on Mavis Road where they’re stored. If candidates or their campaign teams want to retrieve the seized signs, they must pay storage fees and other related costs before they can take them back, Rogers noted.
“In addition to that, we have emergency response for anything that’s safety related, so signs that are impacting (traffic or pedestrian) sightlines, specifically, those are obviously prioritized and the team goes out to those right away,” Rogers said.
Campaigns are charged to get seized signs back
Campaigns will be charged $20 per day, per seized sign for storage, the city said, adding it’s crucial that candidates and their teams follow the sign bylaw.
“These rules help keep roads, sidewalks and public spaces safe. They also help prevent visibility problems and other hazards,” Mississauga officials said.
The city added that for election signs one square metre or larger in size, a removal fee of $200 per sign or the city’s actual cost of removing the sign — whichever is greater — also applies.
Officials said election signs cannot be placed:
On public property.
On or over utility poles and light standards, unless the sign is in an approved poster sleeve.
On traffic signs or other official signs.
Where they block sightlines at intersections.
Within 50 metres of a polling station.
Where they block the view of drivers or pedestrians.
Where they create a safety hazard.
On concrete or masonry noise barrier walls.
Anyone who wants to report an illegally placed sign can call the city’s information line at 311.
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