Arlington County staff say they have removed hundreds of improperly placed signs so far this general election cycle.
Between Oct. 1 and Oct. 24, staff members uprooted 298 unlawful signs, county spokesperson Elise Cleva told ARLnow.
This includes all types of unauthorized signage, not just campaign signs, she noted. The county does not keep track of the content of the signs it removes, we’re told.
On any given median strip, the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance allows for no more than two signs per candidate or political issue. According to a county webpage, signs can appear no more than 31 days before an election and “must clearly indicate the person or entity that placed the sign and [a] contact phone number.”
“County staff may remove any signage in violation of the Zoning Ordinance, including campaign signage, advertisements for businesses, etc.,” Cleva said.
People can email complaints about improper signage to [email protected].
Cleva did not comment on whether a private individual can take enforcement into their own hands. However, an officer with the Arlington County Police Department approached an individual last Friday morning after reportedly spotting them removing two signs in the area of Washington Blvd and Route 50 and throwing them on the ground.
“The officer made contact with the subject, provided education on Virginia Code’s destruction of property statute and released them from the scene,” ACPD spokesperson Ashley Savage told ARLnow.
Both Arlington Democrats and the Arlington GOP have raised concerns this election cycle about yard sign theft and vandalism.
“We applaud county officials for taking necessary steps to enforce those regulations and laws,” Arlington GOP Chair Matt Hurtt told ARLnow. “However, we condemn rogue actors who continue to vandalize, destroy, and remove hundreds of Republican yard signs that have been placed in observance of the established regulations.”
Both Hurtt and Arlington Democrats Chair Steve Baker said their organizations endeavor to follow all applicable rules on signage.
“We ensure every sign placed by an Arlington Democrats volunteer is in compliance with state and local regulations and ordinances on political signage,” Baker said.
Nevertheless, issues persist.
One ARLnow tipster forwarded a series of emails with Arlington zoning inspectors about excessive signage on Washington Blvd. While the emailer was successful in getting the signs removed, they were less happy with the ultimate outcome.
“Thank you and your inspectors for clearing the excessive number of one candidate’s signs this week,” the tipster wrote in an Oct. 17 email. “Unfortunately, the scofflaw seems to be following right behind you. The large number of signs in violation of the ordinance along Washington Blvd have not only returned but seem to have multiplied.”
This morning (Monday), ARLnow observed numerous signs on Washington Blvd from Jerry Torres, the GOP candidate challenging Rep. Don Beyer (D).
ARLnow was unable to contact Torres for comment. His signs did not appear to include any contact information.
