Gene Leighton is one busy man.
Last year he picked up and threw away nearly 4,500 illegal signs in DeBary.
Through September of this year he was on a pace to exceed that number.
Leighton’s zeal has earned him the nickname of “Sign Nazi,” which ended up on a badge someone made for him.
Which brings us to Drippy McDropDrop.
DeBary is using signs with a cartoon image of an oval-eyed, glove-wearing drop of water to convince voters they should pass a $10 million bond referendum.
The city wants to quickly fix its flooding problems by taking on long-term debt, which requires voter approval.
Trust us, the city is asking.
Well, OK, but how come the city can’t be trusted to follow the rules that apply to everyone else?
Like a lot of other cities, DeBary does not allow temporary signs in rights of way.
Good rule.
Those cheap signs affixed to flimsy metal frames are a real eyesore, even if they do offer such useful services as pressure washing, bush hogging and DNA testing.
DeBary has little patience for them and contracts with Leighton, a retired truck driver, to prowl the city’s main roads a few hours every weekend.
On a typical weekend he might confiscate 80 or 90 illegal signs. Good riddance.
So how come the city-made signs with little Drippy imploring residents to “Vote yes on November 7th” do not get the same treatment?
I counted at least a half dozen this week that clearly impinge on rights of way on U.S. Highway 17-92 and Highbanks Road.
A couple were planted in a thin strip of grass just a few inches from the edge of Highway 17-92, within sight of signs for County Council candidates that were well off the right of way.
Others were jammed up against stop signs.
And to think just a couple of weeks ago, there was a statewide crackdown on illegal signs.
“You’re going to bust my chops,” observed City Manager Maryann Courson when I called to ask why DeBary’s signs seem to get special treatment.
Why, yes, I am.
How can the city expect political candidates and businesses to follow the rules when the city does not?
Courson was not sure how Drippy ended up in the rights of way, but said she would dispatch someone to move them.
Courson later pointed out in an e-mail that the city’s rules provide an exception for public signs authorized by the city.
True, except the exemption mentions signs providing legal notices and traffic information, not city-backed political campaigns.
If city officials want people to trust them with $10 million in debt, they need to play by the same rules as everyone else.
That includes Drippy.
