Are city employees directed to remove selected signs?

St Johns County Commissioner Bill McClure, now a candidate for Florida’s 4th Congressional District, released the following statement to Historic City News after conducting research into missing campaign signs, mostly in the City of Jacksonville.

First explained on the WJCT Radio Show “First Coast Connect” with Melissa Ross on Monday, McClure detailed his complaint about his campaign signs going “missing”.

“During the course of our investigation, we observed City of Jacksonville trucks removing all political signs – except the YES for Jacksonville signs – on Saturday, and again on Monday,” McClure reported. “When confronted, the City workers in a truck marked with #4865, said they were sent there to do a job.”

McClure says exactly what job remains a mystery, but, the City of Jacksonville cannot be allowed to continue removing all political signs — except the “YES” for Jacksonville signs.

McClure has been the only candidate to publicly state his opposition to the half-cent sales tax as a taxpayer bailout for unlawful guaranteed returns on invested city employee pensions.

He believes that the sales tax option obligates all future Jacksonville councilmembers; a budgetary discretion beyond what is allowed. He also believes that Congress should live by the rules which they pass, and will decline the Federal pension if elected to Congress.

“In order for real change to happen, whether it’s in Duval County or in Congress, we need to ensure that elected officials pushing this tax don’t bully anyone who is opposing it,” McClure told local reporters.

The Florida Statutes McClure believes are related to this issue:

• FS 104.43 The grand jury in any circuit shall, upon the request of any candidate or qualified voter, make a special investigation when it convenes during a campaign preceding any election day to determine whether there is any violation of the provisions of this code, and shall return indictments when sufficient ground is found.
• FS 106.15 A candidate may not, in the furtherance of his or her candidacy for nomination or election to public office in any election, use the services of any state, county, municipal, or district officer or employee during working hours.
• FS 112.31 No public officer, employee of an agency, or local government attorney shall corruptly use or attempt to use his or her official position or any property or resource which may be within his or her trust, or perform his or her official duties, to secure a special privilege, benefit, or exemption for himself, herself, or others.