It seems that there is a significant problem this year with campaign sign tampering in the Farmington area.
People should be aware that signs are allowed to be placed in public right-of-ways except as prohibited by local ordinance. Further, any legally placed signs cannot be tampered with or removed by anyone except code enforcement or the person who put them up. The fine for messing with other people’s signs is $250 by state law.
The signs across the road as you leave the Hannaford parking lot have been repeatedly tampered with, and I have taken out of mud and re-erected several Democrat candidate signs numerous times in the past two weeks.
This morning ALL Democrat signs (except Landry – congrats to him!) had been removed entirely, and interestingly, all Republican signs remained. Also interestingly, the Sheriff’s challenger’s sign was trampled, but the Sheriff’s sign remained.
We all have an equal right to free speech and communication in our public spaces, and respecting that right is part of the deal in a democracy. Some people seem fine with forgetting about little details like that. What next?
Cynthia Stancioff
Chesterville
