SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Supporters of some conservative school board candidates in Scottsdale claim their opponents got an unfair advantage because of a change in the city’s enforcement posture on political street signs.
Arizona has strict laws governing political signage in the public right of way, including criminal penalties for people who improperly remove or deface signs.
When the slate of Democratic candidates for Scottsdale Unified School Board started placing their signs around July 22, their opponents thought it was a clear breach of the rules.
“It has to be an equal playing field,” said Jill Dunican, a Scottsdale resident who supports the Republican slate.
Dunican and other supporters of the Republican slate felt the Democratic signs were displayed too early, before a 71-day window established by state law.
They filed complaints, and a city code enforcement officer initially suggested the signs were in violation.
Documents provided to Arizona’s Family show the city responded by removing one sign on July 23.
The following day, code enforcement said it received guidance from the legal department that the signs should be allowed to stay.
“You’re caught off guard and the other team is getting visibility and name recognition,” Dunican said. “Allowing teams to operate under different rules is clearly election interference.”
Democratic candidates Mike Sharkey, Donna Lewis, and Matt Pittinsky did not respond to an email Monday seeking comment.
Based on the city’s interpretation of state law, the Democrats placed their signs within the legal window.
Arizona law lets people place political street signs 71 days before a primary election, as long the signs meet certain requirements and are for candidates “running for public office.” That means candidates could start placing signs on May 20.
However, the Scottsdale school board race is unusual.
The race only appears on the general election ballot in November, not the July primary, causing confusion about when the 71-day window begins.
The conservative candidates—Gretchen Jacobs, Jeanne Beasley, and Drew Hassler—planned their signage strategy to coincide with a start date of Aug. 26.
Dunican said the city’s longstanding interpretation of the signage law was that the window started 71 days before the election a candidate appeared in.
An email from a Scottsdale Code Enforcement officer provided to Arizona’s Family cites Aug. 26 as the start date for candidates in the Nov. 5 election.
However, within two days of that email, records show code enforcement officers received new guidance from the city’s legal department.
State law “provides a single period during which election signs are legal: from 71 days before the primary election to 15 days after the general election. State law on this subject does not currently provide separate periods for primary and general elections, only that single span,” Kelly Corsette, communications and public affairs director for the City of Scottsdale, said in a statement to Arizona’s Family.
Corsette did not respond to questions about whether the city reinterpreted the signage law or if the communication from Code Enforcement was based on an error or outdated information.
“In attempting to be responsive to resident complaints, staff initially acted based on the city’s sign ordinance, however, during an election, state law supersedes Scottsdale’s local sign regulations, and the city must follow the State law,” Corsette said.
Dunican and other supporters of the conservative slate believe the Democrats were “tipped off” by someone in the city about the change in enforcement posture.
According to documents, the city sent a guidance email to candidates for mayor and city council on May 16, informing them the signage window opened on May 20.
It’s not clear if that email was shared with candidates for the school board.
The change in enforcement posture on political signs forced the conservative candidates to move up their timeline and rapidly find a designer and printer, Dunican said.
Jacobs, Beasley, and Hassler started placing their large street signs Tuesday night, two weeks behind the other candidates, she said.
“They lost visibility that they’re now desperately trying to catch up,” Dunican said. “The city of Scottsdale most certainly committed election interference.”
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