Anne Arundel County Councilman Jamie Benoit knew his signs bill would not get any love.
He didn?t get support from the county administration, and 11 of the 12 people who testified at Tuesday?s council meeting opposed the bill.
Only he and co-sponsor Councilman Josh Cohen, D-District 6, voted for the proposal to allow only electronic message board signs that change messages at five-second intervals.
The signs, used by businesses and schools, cannot flash, scroll or change in color or brightness.
“This was much ado about nothing,” said Benoit, D-District 4. “This would have made clear to the businesses making substantial investment in these signs … that it isn?t permissible under county code.”
The bill did get the most attention of any bill, as council members devoted more than an hour to debating a bill that many knew wouldn?t pass.
Benoit cited safety issues, claiming the signs are a big distraction for drivers.
Cohen said he sponsored the bill mainly for the aesthetic issue, saying the electronic signs damage the county?s image.
Councilwoman Cathy Vitale, R-District 5, argued with Benoit over the merits of the bill for 45 minutes. The two, who are lawyers, debated for some time over the use of the word “and” in the bill.
“If I don?t know what you guys are talking about, the people in the county aren?t going to know,” Council Chairman Ronald Dillon, R-District 3, said at the end of the debate.
The new law could create an “enforcement nightmare” and overburden county employees, said Alan Friedman, director of governmental affairs for County Executive John R. Leopold.
The bill drew sign manufacturers from Virginia and Pennsylvania, and representatives from St. John Properties, the county?s biggest developer ? all opposing the bill.
The debate lasted so long that members of the media, including a television camera crew, left before the final vote was cast at about 10:45 p.m., nearly four hours after the start of the meeting. Benoit said he felt his bill did make some impact.
“Since all this started, just about every business has starting complying with the law,” he said.
