Coweta County Sign Ordinance Enforcement | Coweta commissioner Paul Poole

Editorial: Who is enforcing the new Coweta County Sign Ordinance?
You won't believe who is enforcing this important ordinance!!!!

"Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us."
[William O. Douglas (1898-1980) U.S. Supreme Court Justice]

If there is any principle of the Constitution that more imperatively calls for attachment than any other it is the principle of free thought-not free thought for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought we hate."
[Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935) U.S. Supreme Court Justice]

We believe that the proper function of government is to do for the people those things that have to be done but cannot be done, or cannot be done as well by individuals, and that the most effective government is government closest to the people. (Coweta Republican Party Website)

We believe that good government is based on the individual and that each person's ability, dignity, freedom and responsibility must be honored and recognized. (Coweta Republican Party Website)

To download the Coweta County sign ordinance in PDF format click here!

Just when it seemed like things in Coweta County couldn't get any crazier, we learned and received confirmation from the county that WATER METER READERS were removing real estate yard signs and carrying them to the recycling center.

It seemed bad enough that county administrators said that enforcement officers were not versed enough on the law to discuss it, what hope do we have for proper enforcement of the law when we discover that low level workers are charged with ENFORCEMENT?

Here is the issue in its simplest form. If a county worker makes a mistake and removes a yard sign from private property, the ENTIRE COUNTY has been exposed to a federal 1st Amendment lawsuit. The county's position that any worker can remove signs may be indefensible in court, and any right thinking jurist would want Coweta County to explain its motives.

With that in mind, I wonder why any county worker would be willing to participate in such a legally perilous enterprise? If the workers have time to perform these new duties, what were they doing before to fill their work time? Were they sitting around with nothing to do? If so, why were we paying them with our hard earned tax dollars. Or ARE THEY EARNING OVERTIME DOLLARS FOR PICKING UP SIGNS, essentially creating a bounty on all signs, legal and illegal in the county? I am not suggesting that this is the case, but it does make one wonder where the workers got the extra time for sign harvesting.

Why not call commissioner Poole and ask him if he thinks it is wise to have the entire county exposed to litigation because he had public works laborers enforcing a very complex ordinance.

If you think that County Sign Enforcement officers should stay off of your private property, call the following numbers:

Mr. Theron Gay, County administrator, was very receptive to my concerns, and says that he is always ready and willing to help Coweta citizens. Thanks for your patience and attention!

"This is an editorial opinion by one individual and one individual only, and does not reflect the position of realty professionals, ERA United Realty Realty, Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc. or any other business entity. Rebuttals are welcome"