Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Peach Days Ads topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hurricane council hears Peach Days committee plea to ban political ads; council weighs legal risk and next steps
Summary
The council read a letter from the Peach Days committee asking the city to prohibit political ads in the Peach Days magazine; members debated free‑speech limits, committee autonomy, possible rescission of a 2023 policy, and whether to delay changes until after the election.
HURRICANE, Utah — A letter read aloud during the council meeting on June 16 asked Hurricane leaders to stop permitting political advertisements in the annual Peach Days magazine, setting off an extended debate about fairness, committee autonomy and First Amendment constraints.
Geralyn, representing the Peach Days committee in a letter the mayor read to the council, wrote that the committee voted overwhelmingly to discontinue political ads because the committee believes such ads “caused great division and a lack of unity.” The letter said the committee had decided against political ads at its end-of-year meeting and reiterated that volunteers who run the event wish to keep the celebration nonpolitical.
Mayor Nanette Billings responded that political ads have appeared in several past Peach Days magazines without widespread issue and that several candidates already purchased space this cycle. The mayor described her own 2021 ad and said she did not view ads as inherently divisive: "I didn't feel like it was great division." She asked the council to respect the committee’s work while also recognizing council authority over city-sponsored events.
The city attorney cautioned elected officials about picking and choosing which political ads would be allowed. The attorney explained that a content‑based restriction (for example, allowing only positive ads or forbidding negative content) raises First Amendment concerns and that the legally defensible options are either a content-neutral ban on all political ads or allowing political ads subject to neutral criteria. "When that door is open, then you can't say, well, only positive ads," the attorney said.
Council members offered several paths forward: delay any policy change until after the current election so purchased ads can be honored; return authority to the Peach Days committee as a gesture of deference; or formally rescind the 2023 policy that set the rules embedded in candidate orientation materials. Some council members urged education for the committee about the council's role and the legal framework. No formal council action was taken at the meeting; several members said they would prefer follow-up and mediation rather than an immediate mid-cycle reversal while some ads are already paid for.
The mayor said she will not unilaterally remove the magazine ads already under contract and suggested the issue could be revisited by the next council if members desire. Council members agreed on the need for clearer communication between staff, the committee and the council to avoid future misunderstandings.
Next steps: council members suggested training for the committee, the possibility of returning decision authority to the committee as a conciliatory measure, or postponing a definitive policy change until after the election cycle.
