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Conway city officials decided to get tough on candidates for political office when they issued $18,000 in fines for violating a sign ordinance.

This drastic action seems far too harsh and unnecessary.

Eighteen candidates were recently fined $1,000 because their signs were illegally placed in public right-of-ways in Conway, said city spokesperson June Wood.

She said the tickets were issued for litter and in violation of the city’s unified development ordinance.

Overall, city staff has removed about 700 signs that were illegally placed, she said, adding citizens made some of the complaints which led to fines being issued.

Every election cycle, streets and highways throughout Horry County sprout election signs. This year, the crop of signs put out by the candidates seemed unusually large, perhaps due to the number of people seeking office.

The county, as well as most municipalities, ban political signs from public rights-of-way but enforcement can be spotty.

In the past, the county and cities have simply had someone pick up those signs in rights-of-way.

Conway used to just confiscate offending signs and throw them away.

The county also collected political signs in rights-of-way and threw them in a dumpster. Candidates hoping to salvage them could go dumpster-diving at an area near the courthouse.

Granted, collecting political signs and disposing of them adds some expense to government.

And, a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1984 held that although political signs are protected under the First Amendment, the state can enact and enforce laws limiting the size and use of political signage on public property.

However, I think the City of Conway goes too far in fining political candidates $1,000 for violating an ordinance.

While the city may consider political signs to be litter, I take the viewpoint that they are part of the political diaglogue that helps protect democracy.

One dictionary I consulted defines litter as paper, cans and bottles that is left lying in an open or public place.

This kind of litter is rarely picked up by the people who discarded it.

In contrast, almost all of the political signs I’ve seen are picked up within a few days of the election.

As long as political signs don’t block sight lines at intersections, I fail to see why they can be considered litter.

Most objectionable is the city’s decision to level a $1,000 fine on candidates whose signs were spotted on public property.

In some cases, the candidates may not have placed the signs in public right-of-way. Supporters may have actually placed them there.

A warning or perhaps a lesser fine may have been more appropiate.

If city officials persist in imposing such hefty fines, I hope they will be just as vigilant when members of city council put their political signs in rights-of-way, like many have done in the past.

Frankly, I think the $1,000 fines are ridiculous.