The Fairbanks City Council will take up a controversial ordinance Monday night that would sharply restrict when residents can display political signs on their own property.
The proposal, sponsored by Council Member Sue Sprinkle, would confine “temporary signs” such as political campaign displays to a 90-day window, limiting them to June through November in most years. Signs outside of that period — including those for candidates or ballot items in a spring special election — would be prohibited under city law.
Sprinkle has argued that campaign signs left up too early or lingering too long after an election amount to “visual litter.” Under the ordinance, any sign violating the timeline would be deemed a public nuisance. Property owners would have 15 days after notice to remove the display, after which the city could remove it at the owner’s expense. The ordinance also specifies that the city would have sole discretion to either dispose of or store any removed signs.
The measure is a direct assault on free speech, pointing to a federal court ruling in ACLU of Alaska v. Alaska DOT, which struck down state restrictions on political signs as unconstitutional. If enacted, the Fairbanks ordinance could suppress political expression ahead of special elections like the one held in May 2024.
The council will consider the ordinance at its meeting on Monday, Sept. 8, at 6:30 pm at City Hall. Members of the public can testify in person, email comments to [email protected], or submit feedback through the city’s online contact form here.