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Council adopts revised ordinance on campaign signs; allows limited right‑of‑way placement near polling places
Summary
After public review and edits, the council adopted Ordinance 17‑57 revising the city code on political campaign signs; changes clarify placement adjacent to polling places, prohibit median signs and remove a duplicative sidewalk prohibition.
The City of Oviedo adopted Ordinance 17‑57 on May 19, updating the municipal code section on political campaign signage.
Staff presented changes made after the ordinance’s first reading, including removal of references that the supervisor of elections could order sign removal where the statute limits that authority. The adopted language permits campaign signs six square feet or smaller to be placed in the public right‑of‑way directly adjacent to properties serving as polling places, and staff added clarifying language that placement includes both sides of the right‑of‑way (the opposite side of the street), but does not allow signs in medians because of the traffic hazard.
Council removed a sentence in subsection c that duplicated a sidewalk prohibition. Councilmember discussion also clarified that people may carry signs on sidewalks and that city staff may remove signs placed in violation of the ordinance. The ordinance retains a 50‑foot exclusion zone around polling places referenced in state statute; other detail in the ordinance covers the maximum sign size and the city’s authority to designate off‑limits areas.
The council’s motion adopted the ordinance with the two changes: delete the duplicative sentence that prohibited placing signs on public sidewalks, and add parenthetical language making clear that both sides of the right‑of‑way directly adjacent to a polling place are included.
Why it matters: the changes aim to balance First Amendment protections (allowing sign‑carrying on sidewalks and limited placement in public right‑of‑way adjacent to polling places) with public‑safety concerns (no median placement). The ordinance codifies placement rules ahead of future elections.
