NATCHEZ — After a number of complaints from candidates about illegal campaign signs posted by their challengers, the City of Natchez is now taking steps to consistently enforce the city’s sign code ordinance.

Natchez City Planner Bob Nix told the Natchez Board of Aldermen at its meeting Tuesday that the city has a history of spotty enforcement of the city’s sign code, except for the prohibition of signs on public property and rights-of-way.

Nix told the board he wanted his staff to do a sweep of the city and inventory all of the signs out for all city candidates to ensure all the candidates were treated equally.

Nix proposed, and the board agreed, that signs on public property and rights-of-way would be removed by planning department staff and candidates can pick their signs up at the city inspections office.

Nix said candidates violating other parts of the city code will be given verbal and written notice and one or two days to get the signs in compliance. If a candidate does not comply after the initial notice, Nix said a candidate would be issued a notice of violation and another couple of days to comply.

Nix said if a candidate still does not comply with the code, the city would take the violations to municipal court where a judge would decide the appropriate penalties.

According to the code, freestanding temporary political signs must not exceed 8 square feet and are only allowed on private property with the permission of the property owner or public kiosks, not on public property or in city rights-of-way.

Signs must be 5 feet from the nearest edge of the street pavement and must also be at least 100 feet from the nearest curb intersection from any street or road to avoid interfering with traffic.

Advertising on state-maintained rights-of-way is also illegal.

Candidates must obtain a permit for banner signs, which must not exceed 30 square feet.

Ward 2 Alderman James “Rickey” Gray and Ward 5 Alderman Mark Fortenbery said at the aldermen meeting that they believed any candidate running for elected office should know the city’s laws before they decide to run for office.

Nix said the planning department staff was available to advise any candidates on how the signs they have purchased can be adjusted to comply with the code. He said all of the candidates were given a package of information outlining the sign code requirements.

Nix said after the meeting that the code was not enforced at the beginning of the campaign due to a miscommunication he had with the city attorney.

Mayoral candidate Larry L. “Butch” Brown said he notified the planning department last week that he believed a banner for Mayor Jake Middleton hanging on South Commerce Street was in violation of the code due to its size.

Brown said he asked the Natchez Fire Department to measure the sign because he was told the planning department staff did not have a ladder tall enough to measure it.

Middleton said he was contacted by the fire chief about Brown’s request, and he said he told the chief not to send the department to measure the sign.

“It’s not the fire department’s responsibility to measure signs,” he said. “(Brown) still thinks he has the authority to do those types of things, and he doesn’t anymore, I have it now.”

Brown said he believes Middleton thinks he is exempt from the city’s laws.

“Quite frankly, his attitude in all this is that he is untouchable,” Brown said.

Middleton said he has trimmed the sign down, but he said he plans on replacing it Thursday with a smaller sign that complies with the code.

Brown said a code enforcement officer returned two signs to him that his supporters had placed too close to the street, but he said he has not been contacted about any other violations.

Mayoral candidates Bill Furlow and Phillip West said Tuesday they had not been notified that any of their signs were in violation of the code. Candidate Bob Buie said he had not put any of his signs out yet.

Furlow said he was glad to hear the city would be enforcing the code now, but he said not enforcing the code wholly and consistently has penalized those who have obeyed the code.

“I’ve obeyed the ordinance since I began printing signs,” he said. “I’ve only placed signs where permitted, and that’s the way it should have been for all candidates.”

West said code enforcement should not be based on the whim of the city, and he said it’s unfair for the city to decide to enforce the code now.

“We are three weeks from the election; qualifying started in January,” West said. “That’s the problem with this city, too many rules for too many different people.”