Fate council narrows rules for election signs at city hall, approves 72‑hour/48‑hour window

Fate City Council on March 13, 2025 approved an amendment to the Fate Unified Development Ordinance to regulate temporary electioneering signs at Fate City Hall, adopting a placement window of 72 hours before the voting period and 48 hours after its close.

Ryan Wells, director of planning and development services, told the council the proposal (project ID ZR24012) was prompted by “electioneering signage placement complaints at city hall during prior election seasons” and that the city’s authority to adopt time, place and manner rules for signs at public buildings comes from the Texas Election Code. “The election code states that electioneering includes the posting, use, or distribution of political signs or literature,” Wells said, and the proposed language would be added to Article 8 of the Unified Development Ordinance.

The amendment, filed as ordinance O-2025-012, leaves ordinary private and business signage unchanged and applies only to temporary electioneering signage at Fate City Hall. The proposed rules cited several specific limits drawn from the Elections Code: larger signs (more than 24 inches above grade) must be set back 30 feet from intersections and 10 feet from the edge of right-of-way or sidewalk; no sign may be placed within 100 feet of an exterior door at the Fate City Hall building; signs must not obstruct vehicular or pedestrian traffic; and if an immediate public-safety hazard exists a sign may be removed by city staff. Wells also noted the Elections Code makes violations a Class C misdemeanor.

Council discussion focused on the pre‑voting placement window. Several members said 24 hours before voting, the period staff originally proposed, would be too short for candidates and volunteers. “I’d rather see a 72‑hour one,” Councilmember Scott said. After discussion, Councilmember Alan moved to approve O‑2025‑012 with an amendment setting the placement window to 72 hours before the voting period and 48 hours after; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Wells said staff typically would attempt to contact whoever placed a sign before removing it unless the sign posed an immediate hazard. “Functionally, that’s what we would do,” he said, and council asked staff to add clarifying language to the ordinance text about notification where feasible.

The council opened and closed a public hearing on the ordinance; no members of the public filed comment, Wells said. Staff recommended approval and the council adopted the revised Article 8 language for electioneering signs at Fate City Hall. The ordinance amendment does not alter permit requirements or rules for private yards or business signage that conform to the existing sign code.