Peach Days organizers and council clash over political ads; council delays formal action

Members of the Peach Days committee told the Hurricane City Council they prefer to exclude political advertisements from the annual Peach Days magazine; council members and staff in turn debated the legal and practical limits of such a ban and agreed not to take immediate action.

At the meeting, the council heard a letter read aloud in which the Peach Days committee argued that political ads have caused “division and a lack of unity” and that the committee “did not want to have political ads.” The letter, read by a committee representative, said the committee had voted (reported in the meeting as 19‑to‑1) to discontinue political advertising for this year and asked that the council respect that choice and not “micromanage” the event.

Mayor Nanette Billings and council members responded with a mix of procedural and legal concerns. Councilmembers noted the council had previously considered political ads in 2023 and adopted a process that places candidate advertising information in the candidate orientation packet and in the same section of the magazine to ensure equal opportunity. Several councilmembers said candidates had already been told how to purchase ads and that some had already done so.

Legal concerns and council response City legal counsel advised the council on First Amendment limits. The attorney said the city can adopt a content‑neutral, across‑the‑board ban on political advertising in a city‑sponsored magazine without running afoul of constitutional rules, but warned that selectively allowing some political ads while trying to regulate their content (for example, allowing only “positive” ads and banning critical ones) would raise First Amendment problems.

“There’s either political ads or there’s not political ads,” the city attorney said during the meeting, urging the council that a distinction between “positive” and “negative” political ads would be a content‑based restriction and constitutionally vulnerable.

Council action and next steps Council members expressed sympathy for the Peach Days volunteers’ desire to avoid conflict but also caution about mid‑cycle changes after candidates had already been informed and some had purchased ads. Several council members recommended waiting until after this year’s election and considering the matter with the next council, or returning the decision to the committee as a reconciliatory gesture.

One council member recommended that, if the council wants to reverse the 2023 decision that allowed ads, it could do so for future events; staff cautioned that changing rules after ads have been sold could create legal or contractual liability.

What was decided: The council did not adopt a new policy at the meeting. Instead, members and staff encouraged local officials and the Peach Days committee to reconcile differences, suggested education for the committee about the council’s oversight role and recommended considering a possible policy change after the current election cycle.

Context and practical points - Staff noted candidate advertising had been included in orientation materials this year so multiple candidates had equal notice of the opportunity. - Committee leaders told the council the Peach Days program is funded largely by advertising revenue and that returning money already received from businesses or candidates was feasible if the committee chose that route. - Council members stressed the value of the magazine as a civic publication that informs residents about candidates and local events, but some said they personally dislike political ads in the magazine.

The discussion closed with the mayor and council urging reconciliation between city staff and volunteers and suggesting the issue be revisited at an appropriate later date, rather than immediately altering the rules while the current election cycle is underway.