With election season comes political signs and complaints about the placement of these signs, as well as year-round placement of business advertising signs that are in the public right-of-way.
An interested reader came in and showed me a photo he’d taken of two commercial signs and one state election sign by an I-94 on-ramp in Van Buren Township.
He told The Independent that he’s called the Van Buren ordinance department, but it seems like enforcement is spotty.
I reached out to Van Buren Deputy Police Chief Joshua Monte for clarity on the issue and showed him the photo for comment.
Deputy Chief Monte agreed that the signs in the picture are not allowed under the township’s sign ordinance.
“There are some exemptions for temporary signs contained within state law that we have no control over, but for the most part, campaign signs and advertising signs placed in the right-of-way are prohibited under the township ordinance,” Monte wrote to us in an email reply.
“Our ordinance officers typically seize about ten signs a day during the summer,” Monte tells us.
In my email, I’d asked if Van Buren Township police are able to confiscate signs on ramps, which belong to the state and are overseen by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).
“The ramps are MDOT’s responsibility, but if we receive a complaint or see signs on the ramps and our ordinance officer can safely remove them, we will remove signs from the on and off ramps of I-94,” he wrote.
To report an ordinance violation, anyone can go to the Animal Control and Ordinance page on the township website and complete the ordinance violation submission form.
That form can be found at: https://vbtmi.gov/departments/public_safety/animal_control___ordinances/index.php
Monte also provided a link to a township webpage that contains the Van Buren Township Zoning Ordinances: https://vbtmi.gov/departments/public_services/building,_planning___economic_development/community_plans.php#outer-304
The link for “Van Buren Township Zoning Ordinance 2026” is near the middle of the page.
“The zoning ordinances are extensive, but the sign ordinance is contained within Section 11.105. There are also carve-outs in state statutes that our ordinance officers have to research when addressing certain complaints, such as agricultural advertisement signs or governmental sign exemptions,” Monte explained.
“Our ordinance department primarily deals with advertising by private businesses and campaign signs.”
Monte is referring to the fact that, on MDOT roads (like I-94), signs have to sit more than 30 feet from the road’s edge, can’t block sight lines at intersections or driveways. They get yanked by MDOT crews if they don’t comply, and must come down within 10 days after the election. There’s also the 100-foot rule — no campaign materials within 100 feet of a polling place entrance on Election Day.
The primary goal of confiscating these signs in the public right-of-way is to preserve lines of sight for drivers; it’s about safety, not about banning free speech.
So, there you have it. Everyone is excited to promote the candidate or business they truly believe in, but we need to make sure we follow city and township ordinances for sign placement.