Campaign signs in Indio cited for breaking city code

Several election signs in Indio donned an unwelcome tag Thursday: a notice indicating the sign is illegal:

“Every person needs to understand we have a municipal code that a lot of cities in California have that they need to obey,” said Ben Guitron, spokesman for the Indio Police Department.

The municipal code can be found on the Indio Police Department’s website. It contains a lengthy list of restrictions for the temporary signs.

“Regulations as to how far apart they need to be, where they need to be, the sizes of it,” Guitron said.

And if candidates plan to install more than five signs throughout the city, they’re now required to obtain this city permit.

“If they don’t put a sticker, that could be a violation as well,” Guitron said.

We were the first to notify several candidates of their sign citations. Manuel Perez’s campaign manager, Carlos Gonzales told us he was surprised because he’s been in contact with Indio Police on a daily basis. Chad Bianco was also unaware his signs weren’t up to code.

“They will receive a ticket probably within due process and they’ll have to appear in court and our city prosecutor will be there with them,” Guitron said. Those tickets range from $100-$400 per citation.

Indio Police says the code aims to protect the community from being polluted with signage, before and after the election.

“There’s so many of them, they’re inundating everything and I can’t get away from them,” said Alan Exelby of Bermuda Dunes.

“I know everyone wants to get their name out, but in the best interest of the public there should be a cap on it as well, so I can see both sides,” said Cherie Johnson of La Quinta.

More information on campaign sign regulations