It appears election sign troubles will continue throughout the county right up to voting day on Oct. 27.
Following a story in last week’s Advertiser on the theft and damage of candidate election signs, the paper received several additional complaints of a similar nature – as well as something brand new in Erin.
Current Mayor Lou Maieron, who is running for Ward 9 county councillor, issued a statement accusing Erin staff of incorrectly removing from area hydro poles and discarding signs belonging to him and mayoral candidate David Lyver.
“Shortly after installation, we noticed that signs were being removed and we had no idea who was removing them or what had happened to the signs,” said Maieron, who added he was told the signs were removed and placed in a “dumpster.”
He said he has contacted the OPP about the matter.
Erin clerk Dina Lundy refuted Maieron’s assertion. She told the Advertiser the signs were placed in a location for the candidates to pick up and reinstall elsewhere.
“Mayor Maieron did pick up the signs that were removed,” she stated.
Lundy explained regulations state there cannot be anything installed on hydro poles that could obstruct access by utility workers.
Erin’s bylaw officer Harold Knox was equally clear the poles are private property and owned by Hydro One.
He added no signs are allowed on them unless a previous agreement was made with both the utility company and the municipality.
Other complaints
The Advertiser also received other complaints in the past week of stolen or damaged election signs from candidates in Guelph-Eramosa, Erin and Centre Wellington – as well as anecdotal accounts of similar incidents elsewhere throughout the county.
