PANAMA CITY — Panama City code enforcement officers removed between 60 and 70 political signs for a judicial candidate because they were illegally put up at the wrong place and time.
The city does not allow political signs on public rights of way or more than 120 days before the election, two rules the campaign signs for candidate Gerard Virga violated. Virga said the volunteer who put out the signs was unaware of the city policy.
The signs, which had been placed in city right of way last month, were out nearly a full week before the May 2 deadline for the Aug. 26 election.
“Not this early,” code enforcement manager Lance Livingston said of the timetable.
Signs are only allowed on private property and only after the property owner consents.
However, Virga and fellow lawyer and campaign manager Bill Price were perplexed by the removal of the signs.
“If there is a misplaced sign, I’ll try to fix it,” Virga said. “I come from a day in age when you asked a person to deal with it and then they dealt with it.”
Price believes a supporter of incumbent Judge James Fensom alerted authorities to the signs in the right of way.
“I have certainly noticed his signs in the six-county area,” Fensom said in response to Price’s statement. “My plan is to put (mine) on private property.”