All three mayoral candidates are disheartened by the recent vandalism and theft inflicted on their campaign signs, culminating in approximately 100 of Pat Severyn’s signature moustache signs going missing last night.
“It’s totally disheartening. The expense alone. I can’t go out in a timely fashion and purchase another $1,200 worth of signs. It just can’t happen,” said Severyn.
“What happened wasn’t random. The first night there was about 20 gone, we thought maybe a kid was grabbing them or it was getting popular with the moustache thing. But over 100 went missing last night, some of them on absolutely dead-end streets you can’t see from anywhere.”
Deb Kozak and John Dooley both reported vandalized and missing signs, though in their cases the vandalism is minor.
“You could understand a little Halloween spray-painting like we’ve had in the past, or a sign torn up and thrown over the bank. But I’ve never had any stolen. We usually find it within a stone’s thrown of its original spot,” said Dooley.
“I haven’t checked much because I’ve been downtown, but I’ve seen a couple of mine are gone and two were torn down. But for that many to go missing is unheard of.”
Deb Kozak was out of town in Spokane for a conference, but contacted the Star to express her dismay over the vandalism.
“Candidates and their supporters spend a lot of time and money purchasing signs and getting them up, so I’m really disappointed to hear this.”
Severyn has contacted the Nelson Police Department about the matter.
“It’s against the law to tamper with them. That’s simply just wrong for people to do that,” said Dooley.
Nelson police chief Wayne Holland said they have opened a file to look into the matter, and already have a “substantial lead”.
“We have opened one file, and we’ll open a file for any candidate who suffers a theft. We will follow up to the extent we’re able to, because it is a crime.”