Members of the Baltimore County Council said Tuesday that they need more time to consider a proposal to limit the lifespan of campaign signs on private property to 30 days before the vote.
Fellow lawmakers and some residents questioned the constitutionality of the proposal by Council Member Kevin Kamenetz, D-District 2, which also would limit one sign per candidate per lot and allows the county to hold the property owner and campaign treasurer responsible for violations.
“I think you?re infringing on the rights of the neighbor who may say, ?Why can they have 50 signs and I only get one?? ” Council Member John Olszewski, D-District 7, told Kamenetz at the council?s work session Tuesday. “It?s almost like you?re dictating.”
Kamenetz defended the bill, which he said targets billboard signs adhered to vans and lawns cluttered with dozens of signs for one candidate ? both eyesores and distractions to motorists, he said.
The county already requires homeowners to remove signs seven days after an election and prohibits signs in the public right-of-way. Kamenetz said the law would apply only to signs approved by candidates with official authority lines.
“This is another reasonable expansion of the laws candidates already have to follow,” he said.
Kamenetz first proposed the changes in April but withdrew the bill when other candidates said a time limit on signs benefited only incumbents. Officials from the American Civil Liberties Union protested the bill under free-speech arguments, and residents echoed those concerns Tuesday.
“I have mixed feelings about this,” said Ruth Goldstein, of Pikesville. “I think most citizens would like to see enforcement of existing laws, which I did not see this election.”
Vince Gardina, D-District 5, said he has qualms about the bill. The council is scheduled to vote on the measure Monday.
