Covington County commissioners end 'compass' billboard advertising contract

At a meeting of the Covington County Commission, commissioners voted 3–1 to end the county's contract for so-called "compass" billboards used to advertise county events and arena rentals.

Commissioners debated whether the signs reached local residents and whether the county was getting value for money. Staff said the signs are used mainly to advertise arena events and rentals. Karen, who oversees arena scheduling, said the arena is nearly fully booked on two weekends next year, a point offered as evidence the signs were not necessarily the sole driver of bookings.

County staff described contract costs and operational limits: the current contract is about $9,600 per year; staff said each content change to a board carries a small fee (reported in the meeting as $15 per change), and frequent updates reduce legibility on digital boards. Commissioners and staff also described practical limits of digital rotation, small font size when many events are listed, and overlap with political advertising during campaign periods.

A motion to stop paying for the compass signs passed with three votes in favor and one opposed. The motion record in the meeting packet did not identify a named mover or seconder in the transcript provided; the clerk recorded the tally as 3 ayes and 1 no. No follow-up action beyond terminating the contract was specified during the meeting.

The commission did not identify alternative county advertising plans at the meeting; staff said some billboard locations are owned by third parties and that changing locations is an option if the commission wishes to continue billboard advertising.

The vote ends the county's current compass billboard contract; staff will implement the termination and return to the commission if any vendor or transition issues require additional action.