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Signs of the times

by Gregory Crofton, Tahoe Daily Tribune

They don’t ticket offenders; instead the city’s policy is to confiscate and destroy illegal campaign signs.

So far seven signs have been removed since it became permissible to post them Jan. 5. The signs were removed because candidates had not paid the city’s required $40 deposit. The county does not require a deposit.

As the March 5 primary election draws near, more signs, such as “O’Brien for Judge,” “Hennick for Sheriff” and “Neves for Sheriff,” will pop up in the city and county. Campaign signs become legal 60 days before an election in the city and 90 days in the county.



When candidates or their representatives pay the $40 deposit, they also sign an agreement that requires them to remove the signs by March 6. In the county, the signs must be gone no longer than 10 days after the election.

People who post campaign signs must get permission from the property owner, but a sign is legal on any type of land or in any window. A candidate may have two signs on one property if each sign faces a different street. There is no limit as to how many plots a candidate can post a sign on.



Signs in the city cannot be larger than 12 square feet. In the county, the limit is 32 square feet. Neither the city nor county allows campaign signs to be posted on trees or have illuminated or moving features.

If the signs obstruct the right-of-way of a city or county road, or a highway regulated by the California Department of Transportation, expect the sign to be moved or destroyed.

“Signs are not allowed in the county right-of-way,” said Joe Herrlie, assistant civil engineer at El Dorado County Department of Transportation. “The minimum right-of-way for (county) roads is 25 feet in each direction from the centerline. It’s 30 to 40 feet for higher speed, wider pavement roads like Pioneer (Trail).”

The same guidelines apply to South Lake Tahoe streets with the average right-of-way on U.S. Highway 50 being 100-feet from either side of the centerline. On streets such as Sierra and Ski Run boulevards, right-of-way is on average about 40 feet from the centerline.

If you’re posting a campaign sign in the South Lake Tahoe, a safe bet to avoid the public’s right-of-way is to plant them beyond telephone poles, hydrants and traffic signs.


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