Rockingham police will enforce a city ordinance dealing with political signs and remove them if necessary.

“When we get complaints, we typically ask the candidate to move their sign,” said Police Chief Robert Voorhees. “However, city code enforcement is entitled to remove the signs and hold them until they (candidates) pay a fee to get them back.”

He said there are several rules candidates should be aware of as they place signs in Rockingham.

First and foremost, the signs may not be located on the public right-of-way in any fashion.

“They have to be located on private property,” Voorhees said.

Second, political signs may not obstruct the field of vision for drivers.

Third, the signs may not be put on light poles.

“If anyone is unsure of where the public right-of-way is, there is a good rule of thumb to go by,” Voorhees said. “From the telephone pole to the road is usually considered the public right-of-way, while anything behind the telephone pole is usually private property.”

He said it isn’t the intention of Rockingham Police to get out of their cruisers with tape measures to see the signs buttress up to the right-of-way, but blatant violations won’t be ignored.

“Most of the time, they don’t pose a problem,” Voorhees said. “But if they do obstruct sight at an intersection, whether they’re on private property or not, they are subject to removal.”

Rockingham City Code Enforcement Officer Tim Combs explained he isn’t obligated to notify candidates before he removes signs that are on the public right-of-way.

“I have an obligation by city code to pick them up,” Combs said.

He said signs are held until a $15 fee is paid to get them back, which is often more than the sign itself costs.

The Hamlet Police Department said there are no city ordinances pertaining to political signs on the books, and complaints would be handled through city code enforcement should they arise.

The county doesn’t regulate signs.

“That doesn’t fall under our county ordinances,” said Richmond County Code Administrator Shannon Brigman. “It’s something we haven’t addressed, and I don’t even recall us having complaints about it in the past.”

Brigman said there are some cases where the North Carolina Department of Transportation will remove a sign that obstructs the public right-of-way.

Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.