Lyons campaign isn’t calling for signs to be taken down; city has already removed some

Though the City of Las Cruces has begun the process of removing Republican Land Commissioner Pat Lyons’ campaign signs, which it says violate an ordinance, the Lyons’ campaign isn’t yet calling for property owners to take them down.

The campaign began handing out signs last week, and several went up on private property and in city medians and right-of-way areas. Two 4×8-foot signs were erected on private property adjacent to Roadrunner Parkway and Lohman Avenue.

But the city’s ordinance prohibits the erecting of campaign signs until 90 days before an election. That would be Aug. 9 for the November general election.

No other candidates have begun putting up signs for the November election in Las Cruces. Several, Republican and Democrat, have told me they believe it would be illegal to do so before Aug. 9.

Kristin Haase, Lyons’ campaign manager, said she is trying to learn more about a case Lyons recalls from 1988 in which a court in New Mexico ruled that campaign signs can’t be restricted by cities and counties unless they impede traffic or cause other hazards.

Thus far, Ruidoso and Las Cruces are the only municipalities to complain about the signs, which have gone up around the state, Haase said.

Doña Ana County, Sunland Park and Hatch also allow signs 90 days before elections. Mesilla allows them 30 days before elections.

Hoyt Clifton with the secretary of state’s office said Monday that city ordinances do apply on private property, unless private property is exempted in the ordinances. It is not exempted in the Las Cruces rule.

City codes enforcement officers began removing smaller Lyons campaign signs that were placed in medians and right-of-way areas several days ago, said City Manager Terrence Moore.

“Now we’re working with property owners to remove the larger signs on private property,” he said.

The maximum fine for violating the ordinance is $500. Moore said Monday the first step would be to ask property owners to remove the signs, and only if they refuse will further action be taken.

Incumbent Lyons faces Democrat Jim Baca in the November election. The race could be the closest of all statewide races this year. Donations to the Lyons campaign are dwarfing those to Baca, but a recent poll by Baca showed he has a slight lead.

The poll also showed that Lyons lacks name recognition. One consequence of this snafu: More people will know Lyons’ name. He’s getting attention.