Raymore officials say proposed sign-code update aims to align with Missouri law, not restrict speech
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Summary
City leaders at an Aug. 4 work session reviewed staff-drafted sign-code revisions and pushed back on social-media claims that the update would ban political signs, saying the rewrite is intended to remove content-based terminology and treat temporary signs uniformly to comply with state law and court rulings.
Mayor (unnamed in the transcript) and city staff discussed proposed revisions to Raymore’s sign code at the Aug. 4 work session and addressed circulating social-media posts that officials said have mischaracterized the update.
The mayor said staff has worked for about three years to align the code with state statute and recent court decisions and described five talking points staff prepared. "The proposed updates remove content based terms like political signs to align with Missouri law and constitutional protections," the mayor said. "Whether it's a campaign sign, a garage sale, a community event, rules will apply consistently based on time, place, and manner, not message."
He told the council the city will continue to prohibit signs on city property without permission and said the changes aim to limit excessive visual clutter while protecting free expression. "It's not about restricting speech, never has been," the mayor said. "Our goal is to protect free expression and maintain an attractive, navigable city for everyone."
Staff offered to discuss details with council members; a staff author of the draft was present for questions. The mayor expressed concern about social-media misinformation affecting governance and said the clarification was intended to counter what he called "outright lies" portraying the revisions as a curb on free speech.
The council did not take formal action on the code at the work session; staff said the item will appear on a future agenda for council consideration.