BURRILLVILLE – The Town Council is considering a change to a town ordinance that limits how long residents can keep up signs supporting various political candidates, with an amendment that would eliminate the restrictions.
The move follows a warning from the American Civil Liberties Union last fall stating the law is unconstitutional.
The zoning regulation, passed in 2004, states that non-permanent political and pre-election signs may be erected no more than 60 days before an election, and must be removed ten days after. It also dictates that the candidate is responsible for removal of the advertising signs.

But in a letter to Town Manager Michael Wood in September, the organization noted that it has won lawsuits challenging similar ordinances elsewhere in the state, calling the provision, “a clear violation of residents’ free speech rights.”
“We weren’t the only ones trying to regulate this,” explained Councilor Stephen Rawson, who told NRI NOW this week that the Burrillville ordinance was passed decades ago in reaction to issues with a specific candidate. “I always had a problem with it at that time, as it was a violation of free speech.”
Council President Don Fox told NRI NOW last year that the original law was passed by a Democratic-controlled town council, noting the current board plans to remedy the mistake. Currently, members of the Burrillville Town Council are all Republicans.
Following the letter, councilors sent work on revision to the ordinance subcommittee, and Town Solicitor William Dimitri was also asked to weigh in.
And on Wednesday, Jan. 22, councilors held the first reading of an amendment deleting the provision from town code.
“There is no reason to fight the ACLU on this issue,” said Rawson.
Rawson said a public hearing on the proposed ordinance revision will be held at the council’s meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Editor’s note: A vote on the proposed ordinance revision was originally scheduled to be held at the council’s next meeting, but has been postponed to February 26 and the new date has been corrected above.