JOHN E. SETTLE JR. EDITOR

That season has now officially opened.

It’s called "political sign clutter season."

By the time many readers have time to scan this article, qualifying for the November election primary will have ended.

The witching hour is/was Friday, July 22, at 4:30 p.m.

So at 4:31 p.m. that day, the local political field will be set.

Voters will know by this time next week in this paper, if not sooner, who is running for Shreveport mayor and the Shreveport City Council in all seven districts.

One can expect in the coming weeks that all the mayoral and council candidates will be "beautifying" the city with signs for their campaigns.

Actually, the political signs have already appeared throughout the city for mayor and some council races.

An ever-present issue during local political races is what are the max sign sizes and where can they legally be posted.

So here are the rules for the city of Shreveport:

a. maximum size 8 square feet on residential property;

b. maximum size 16 square feet on commercial property;

c. must have consent of landowners to post signs;

d. if vacant property, must have written consent to post signs;

e. no signs in public right of ways -- the area along public streets and the area between the street and the sidewalk;

f. no signs on public property or on utility poles.

And for those concerned about what is and what is not a "political sign," the Shreveport city council will soon consider an ordinance amendment to clarify this issue.

Currently, a sign that does not advertise a political position is not a "political sign" under the city's Unified Development Code (UDC). Example: the black and white Chavez/Shreveport signs.

At its next meeting the Shreveport City Council will have a first reading on an ordinance to amend the UDC political sign provisions.

The amendment deletes the "political category" and makes the sign size and rules apply to all temporary signs, both residential and commercial.

Historically, signs for a political race are a campaign "requirement." They cause headaches for candidates, property owners and public officials alike.

If nothing more, compliance with the size and placement rules provides some insight into the candidates who, presumably, will follow laws and ordinances if elected.