LAUREN WOOD/THE NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT — A sign pushing the re-election of former mayor Jake Middleton hangs near Britton & Koontz bank on Commerce Street Saturday. Mayor Butch Brown is asking all candidates to remove signs now that the election has concluded because of complaints he has received from residents.

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Signs of clutter? Ordinance requires removal of political signs

Published 12:07am Monday, July 23, 2012

NATCHEZ — More than a month after the city’s general election and two months after the second Democratic primary, campaign signs can still be spotted around the city.

Mayor Butch Brown said he has been receiving calls from residents complaining about the remaining campaign signs, and Brown is asking all former candidates to remove their signs.

According to the city’s sign ordinance, campaign signs must be removed seven days after the election.

Political banner signs are hung with permits issued by the city’s planning and zoning department. Permits are granted for no more than 30 days.

Brown said he does not want to issue code violations to former candidates with signs still remaining around the city.

“I’ve been getting calls about it and noticed some myself,” he said. “I don’t want to make it an issue. I would hope there would be voluntary compliance; we’re not trying to collect money from defeated candidates.”

Brown said before there is another election, Natchez will have a better sign ordinance that clearly defines stipulations for political signs and banners, banners for events, placards and other signs. He said candidates will also be given plenty of notice and explanation on what is in the city’s sign ordinance.

“I want people to know what the ordinance is, so the people can know when (the signs) can go up and when they’re supposed to come down,” he said.

Several complaints caused the city to enforce its sign code after the fact during this year’s elections.

Former City Planner Natchez City Planner Bob Nix told the Natchez Board of Aldermen at an April meeting that the city has a history of spotty enforcement of the city’s sign code, except for the prohibition of signs on public property and rights-of-way.

Nix said after the meeting that the code was not enforced at the beginning of the campaign due to a miscommunication he had with former city attorney Everett Sanders.

 

 

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  • Anonymous

    Why do they need one on every corner???  why not just put them in areas where everyone passes and eliminate them all over town on every street corner. in front of every home and business? one sign or a few can be just as effective as a million of them. Politicians spend way too much money on nonsense that has nothing to do with their winning the election. Try being honest having some integrity and  do what you say. ALL of these big fancy showdowns with opponents and big expensive dinners and crap is just a waste of time. Just like the presidential election now they have spent and excessive amount of money with this campaign and had $40,000 a plate dinners???? for real??? this is more then an average family spends on food in a year and most don’t even make this much per year…. who the hell is dumb enough to pay that kind of money for a plate of food? secondly why would they do that in the hard economic times when there are people who can’t afford to feed their family and they are blowing money in astronomical portions for what? sling mud at each other? I think the should stick to what they will do if elected cut way the hell back on the cost of campaigning and redo they way they campaign and keep it simple. all this gotta have  multi million dollar buses to travel on or fly all over the united states, spend huge amounts of money on travel for a entourage of people to follow, it’s disgraceful and way too costly… they really should  bring this whole mess way down and get ti back to basics minus all this outrageous spending and grand standing. We as tax payers should be screaming long and hard about this. secondly, if they can rise this kind of money for a damn campaign then why are we so ass over tea kettle in debt? why not raise money to pay that off… the money Obama has spent on this so far would have put a good dent in the deficit. We do need a new president one that knows how to lead and puts the American people first and fore most. We need a president who is not afraid to stand up to foreign government entities and say NO…one that will take care of the problems in which we face daily, one who has common sense and a back bone who will work with congress and hold them accountable for their actions and conduct…. if we are just going to keep swapping one problem for the same  we may as well not even bother with it. We need a real change not more of the same crap we been having.

  • Anonymous

    Payback time!

  • Anonymous

    Local politicians only pave streets for campaigning.

  • Anonymous

    YOU AND NIX NEED TO GO SOME WHERE AND HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE. ANYONE THAT HAVE FORGOT ABOUT REMOVING A SIGN IS NO BIG DEAL MAYOR. ALL THE PEOPLE NEED TO DO IS GIVE THE CANDIDATES A *SIMPLE* PHONE CALL AND THEY WILL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO REMOVE THERE SIGN. THE CANDIDATES DIDN’T KNOW WHERE EVERY SIGN WAS PLACE, BECAUSE THE HAD HELP PASSING THEM OUT MR. MAYOR. I KNOW IT WAS MUCH EASIER FOR YOU TO FINE YOUR SIGNS ON THE BACK OF THE BUSSES. NOW MAYOR; I’M WAITING ON SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE TO COME FROM YOU TO HELP BUILD OUR COMMUNITY. DON’T COME IN THE PAPER WITH ALL OF THIS PENNY-ANNY STUFF TRYING TO COVER UP THE REAL PROBLEMS WE ARE HAVING HERE IN NAC. YOU HEAR ME MR. MAYOR.   

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    How about the Bucket West sign and R. Johnson on Red Loop road which is in the county but needs to go as well??!!

  • Anonymous

    He does, loud and clear.

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