Every four years, it’s a springtime tradition. Just as the tourists begin to arrive for Pilgrimage, the political signs begin cropping up for Natchez municipal elections.

These days you can find colorful signs in yards and in front of businesses &045; perfectly legal places &045; but unfortunately you can also find them in rights-of-way or on public property.

That’s not only against city and state rules, it’s dangerous.

They can be a hazard for workers mowing the rights-of-way on highways; they can obstruct the view of motorists; and they are distracting.

Someone once termed these signs &uot;litter on a stick,&uot; and there is no excuse for them to be placed illegally.

Each candidate should have received a copy of the city’s political sign ordinance when he or she signed up to run, so the people running for office know when their signs are placed illegally.

And while we’re glad to see residents taking part in the political process by supporting candidates with signs in their yards, residents need to remember that the city’s sign ordinance also requires those signs to be removed no later than seven days after an election.

It’s not just an issue of clutter and cleanliness; it’s an issue of public safety.

We have nothing against campaign signs &045; in the right places at the right times.