The city is in the process of developing an election sign bylaw that could limit the location, size and even number of election signs allowed.
Public input to a proposed bylaw is being sought by the city and David Wiedrick, the city’s manager, Bylaw Compliance, Security and Licensing, said the plan is to have the new bylaw in place by the provincial election in June.
There is also a municipal election in the Fall.
“The community is being asked for input with a deadline of Dec. 1 and the report will go to council in the first quarter of next year, hopefully with a suggested bylaw,” Wiedrick said.
The survey can be found here.
Wiedrick said the bylaw would, first and foremost, focus on public safety, making sure signs don’t interfere with visibility at intersections or interfere with transit stops, sidewalks or utilities.
While he wasn’t around for the last election in Guelph, Wiedrick said the city did receive many complaints from the public regarding election signs.
He said it’s also important to be fair to those running in the elections and the election process itself.
“It (the bylaw) should be fair and equitable to everyone,” he said.
One of the questions being asked the public in the survey is should there be a limit on the number of signs a candidate can place? And if so, how many should it be?
Wiedrick said some municipalities already have election sign bylaws but they vary in what they cover.
