Haldimand County mayoral race heats up over disputed billboard

Haldimand County, south of Hamilton, is at the centre of a dispute that could challenge municipal laws on election advertising.

It centres on a billboard that may or may not be an election advertisement, depending on who you ask.

On Highway 3, just outside Jarvis, a billboard looms over the road and is currently sparking anger among other candidates for the mayor’s job.

“I believe American-style politics has hit our borders and it shows how dirty politics can be,” said Haldimand Mayor Shelley Anne Bentley.

The billboard sign went up in August, even though country rules say election signs weren’t supposed to be put in place until Friday, and the mayor running for re-election says it’s bigger than the rules allow.

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“I believe it’s a compromise of our election,” said Bentley. “Thousands of people have driven by it in the last three weeks and it remains up to this day.”

The candidate on the billboard, however, says it’s not a violation.

“The rules are being followed,” said Jake Vandendool, a mayoral candidate for Haldimand County.

He says those rules in the county define election signs as “small, temporary signs,” and this doesn’t fit the definition, because it’s not small or temporary.

“I think where the controversy has come from is there is a misunderstanding of our sign bylaws concerning election signs, which is very clear that election signs are temporary signs, advertising parties, or candidates in an election, and the key term there is it’s a temporary sign,” said Vandendool.

Vandendool says he was contacted by county officials, but wasn’t told to take down the sign.

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Another candidate for mayor says he doesn’t have a problem with the sign, but that candidates should have an equal playing field.

“We’re all given the rules, we’re all supposed to have the same playing field,” said Andy Griffin, a mayoral candidate for Haldimand County. “Campaigning time is not the time to look for loopholes and wording issues with bylaws,”

While the member of the Ontario legislature for the area says this may call for the Provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs to step in.

“When rules aren’t applied equally to everyone, I think the question that hangs in limbo is how do we think this is a fair election?,” said Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Bradly. “Has this election been compromised?”

Vandendool says his billboard contract is running out and the sign should be coming down soon.

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