Election Sign Theft

There is nothing new when it comes to election sign theft and destruction, and all seventeen candidates for council felt the sting during the Municipal campaign and a number did lose signs during the windstorm on Sunday, October 29th.

However, one candidate has and an inordinate amount of signs taken and is questioning if he has a following that will come out and support him at the polls. Candidate Tom Tucker had a number of large signs valued at 100-dollars each stolen in addition to over a 117 lawn sign lifted.

“248 signs were distributed and less than 100 were available today. Over 50-percent have gone astray. Six of the large photo signs were produced and 3 have disappeared. They were not blown away or damaged beyond repair! They were stolen, pure and simple.”

Tucker said someone mentioned that there is a character in the cartoon show ‘The Family Guy’ by the same name and he now wonders if fans of the show were over zealous in their appreciation of the show.

The candidate spent Sunday gathering lawn signs from supporters and repositioning the signs he had left in high traffic areas in an effort to have one last push as people make their way to the polls.

Tucker wrote on the BayToday feedback page “normally we would have left them until after Election Day but due to the "disappearance" of so many we were forced to change our plans.”

“To those people who have my signs, I just want you to know that the cost to replace them will exceed $800.00. Some may say that is a cost of the campaign. I do not share in this view and can only wonder why. With a total campaign budget of less than $5000, that makes for a huge percentage.”

Tucker told BayToday that he would have gladly have offered the signs up for free September 14th and there was no need for anyone to have been so disrespectful.

Meanwhile both Sara Campbell and Judy Koziol say they had a few signs down due to the weather but have also had some pinched.

Koziol says what bothers her most was the vandalism to her signs making it impossible for her to repair.

“They’ve spray painted goatees and moustaches on my photos on the signs, I’m surprised they didn’t paint horns,” she states.

Tampering with or taking signs without permission is a criminal act and can carry stiff penalties and fines.