Politics & Government

Say Goodbye to Election Signs in Fairfax County

Beginning this week, new program tasks prison inmates with removing signs Tuesday through Thursday each week.

This story was written and reported by William Callahan.

Virginia’s gubernatorial election is underway, but Fairfax County residents can rest easy knowing that this year, campaign signs posted in public stretches of major roads will be removed.

Starting this week, nonviolent inmates from the Sherriff’s Office Community Labor Force will remove signs, including political campaign signs and advertisements, every week Tuesday through Thursday.

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The Board of Supervisors approved the program, an agreement with the Virginia Department of Transportation, in February. It will cost the county $150,000.

Putting up signs on any state road is illegal. The law does allow some signs, such as signs at the intersections of two or more roads giving the distance or direction to a church, residence, or place of business and signs advertising or providing directions to a “special event.” Such signs will be allowed to stay up from Saturday through Monday.

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Signs will only be removed from major public rights of way across the county, including the Fairfax County Parkway, Leesburg Pike, Lee Highway, Richmond Highway and more. A full list of roads with sign removal is available on the county’s Web site.

Signs removed by the county will be stored for five calendar days at the I-66 Transfer Station, where they can be reclaimed. Signs will be destroyed after five days.

Signs on neighborhood streets will not be tended to through the program.

The same goes for signs on private property, although residents with complaints about such signs can file online forms with the county. Adopt-a-Highway groups can collect signs from neighborhood streets.

Signs collected by VDOT's Adopt-a-Highway groups may be removed at any time within the designated stretch of roads, and volunteers may destroy these signs immediately.

Though there was serious public support for including garbage removal with the initiative, trash isn’t part of the deal. Litter will not be removed from the medians while signs are being collected.


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