A town in Massachusetts has fined a resident for projecting “Trump 2024” onto a municipal water tower.
According to local officials in the town of Hanson, the unauthorized display ahead of the November election, in which former President Donald Trump will face off against Vice President Kamala Harris, has led to a cease-and-desist order, as the town does not endorse political candidates or allow political signs on municipal property.
Town Administrator Lisa Green revealed that officials discovered the projection on October 11, sparking concerns that it might give the impression of a town endorsement.
“This misleads the public into believing that this activity is sanctioned by or condoned by the town,” Green said in a statement Saturday.
While the resident’s identity remains undisclosed, the town has imposed a $100 daily fine until the display is halted.
In an effort to combat the unauthorized projection, the Highway Department workers installed a spotlight aimed at the tower, hoping to obscure the image at night.
However, the fines have been accumulating, and the costs of addressing the situation continue to rise. Officials have said that this countermeasure could lead to substantial expenses, including legal fees and overtime pay for staff. The mounting costs have led some to worry that the fines may fall short of covering the town’s financial burden.
This issue has also raised questions about free speech and the limitations of displaying political messages on public property, a topic likely to spark further debate as the presidential election approaches.
A Donald Trump campaign sign displayed in Dearborn, Michigan, in February. A town in Massachusetts fined a resident for projecting “Trump 2024” onto a municipal water tower.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
This is not the first time a sign promoting a presidential nominee has caused controversy. Last week, a 100-foot-wide, 12-foot-tall glowing “VOTE FOR TRUMP” sign was seen in Amsterdam, New York.
The sign, erected atop the headquarters of Sticker Mule, a sticker and T-shirt printing company based in the small upstate city, has become a flashpoint in a national debate over partisan politics, free speech, and the more byzantine matter of local zoning codes.
Sticker Mule unveiled the Trump sign at a lighting ceremony last week that went ahead despite the town’s concerns that it was against code and would pose a distraction to passing motorists.
Sticker Mule’s CEO, Anthony Constantino, a Trump supporter, said the sign is a matter of free speech and unity.
However, Amsterdam’s mayor, Michael Cinquanti, a Democrat, says he just wants the company to abide by the law, arguing the sign violates a city code that states a sign on top of a business must relate to the business it is underneath.
The city of Amsterdam, about 35 miles northwest of Albany, filed a lawsuit against Sticker Mule last week in the state Supreme Court, reiterating this argument.
“We’re asking him to comply with city codes. Everybody hates negative publicity in the city, and that’s what I was trying to avoid,” Cinquanti previously told Newsweek, adding that he did not want City Hall’s issue with the Trump sign turning into a political powder keg.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
