Candidates Take Down Signs Before 120 Day Rule

It’s the day after the election – and not even 12 hours after a victory win, Jack Boysen and his campaign partner are out taking down campaign signs that have been plastered across the city for months.

“Everybody has been looking at them for the last couple months, I’m sure they’re ready to see the normal scenery again,” said Boysen.

In January, Boysen will start his second term on the Santa Maria City Council.

Boysen is no stranger to taking down these signs and says he will just “stick them in the garage.”

Not too far away from Team Boysen, KEYT/KCOY/KKFX spotted one of Etta Waterfield’s volunteers doing the same thing.

Greg Beebe says taking down Waterfield’s signs is a lot easier this go around than putting them up; he credits the recent rainfall for that.

“It was so hard going in with our post hole diggers that it was a difficult chore but now it’s nice and loose,” said Beebe.

Larry Appel with the Santa Maria community development department says political signs are treated like any other temporary signs.

Appel told KEYT/KCOY/KKFX’s Cory James that candidates have control over when they choose to take them down as long as its within 120 days or four months.

“Some have asked to take them down the weekend of the campaign, some the next day. It really is up to each candidate when they come in to fill out their application,” exclaimed Appel.

Santa Maria officials said if candidates do not remove signs by the date they selected, then Code Compliance will give them a call and encourages them to take them down.