By Ruth Longoria

OK, so aesthetics won out over what’s legally allowed and City Council candidates have taken down or haven’t yet posted their campaign signs around the Island. After all, the election is still a few months away.

So — some Islanders have begun to worry — what’s with the deluge of political signs piercing just about every patch of green space along northend streets and Interstate offramps?

As election season begins and the scenery here takes on the look of a political free-for-all, there’s a sense that some would-be county politicians have no regard for the Island’s natural beauty.

“They certainly are popping up — it’s sort of like two years ago when we had the national elections,” said City Manager Rich Conrad, who sees no real problem with the signs that can’t be restricted due to First Amendment rights. “It’s all protected free speech,” he said.

That’s not how some Islanders see it, including Beth Anderson, who recently wrote an e-mail letter to Port Authority candidate Patricia “Pat” Davis, whose aqua and white signs began filling the landscape last week along Island Crest Way and 80th Avenue S.E.

“I am writing to you as a frustrated Mercer Island resident,” Anderson wrote. “While I understand the need for name recognition, 22 signs in a 300 (foot) median is excessive. It not only clutters our island to look at political signs 3 months before an election, but to be forced to look at a sign every 3 feet sends the signal of excess and a disregard for the community. While I know nothing about your political strengths, my perception of your values is one of waste and mismanagement of funds, a perception I am sure you would not embrace.”

The main reason county election signs began appearing on the Island last week is because that’s when absentee ballots were mailed out.

“The absentee ballots come out 20 days before the Sept. 20 election. And, it’s important to get name recognition to the absentee voters because 70 percent of the people here vote absentee,” Davis said. “I’m sorry that some of the people don’t like it, but the signs are important. It’s sort of like with the old Berma -Shave signs. With enough of them out there people remember them.”

A few weeks ago, the Reporter published several letters to the editor from residents, as well as one political candidate, concerning the City Council race signs that dotted the Island during Summer Celebration. The signs angered some residents to the point that they said they won’t vote for a candidate who posts signs prior to the last few weeks before the election.

Council candidate Mike Grady blasted his opponent, Brenda Finkenbinder, for posting her signs in July.

“I just want a level playing field. Let’s be fair. I mean, imagine how upset people would be if Lance Armstrong was given a two-week head start in the Tour de France,” Grady said.

Finkenbinder responded to criticism of her visual aids by stressing the importance of keeping residents informed about the upcoming election. Finkenbinder’s campaign workers previously posted and took down her signs during significant events and dates on the Island. She plans to put the signs up again closer to the November election.

Anderson addressed the previous Island concerns in her letter to Davis: “With all the buzz on the Island about this topic, perhaps it would be advantageous to rethink your sign installation.”

Davis told the Reporter she was surprised that one of her volunteer campaign workers — who lives on the Island — put up so many signs in one area.

“He really did a good job,” Davis said.

Name recognition is important in a race, such as for commissioners for the Port Commission, she said.

“Most of us are inundated with information all day long, so we don’t pay attention to something unless it’s important to us. Getting someone to pay attention to the economic engine of the Port of Seattle is difficult,” she said.

Washington is a bit different from other states in selecting leadership for its ports, Davis said. In most states, port commissioners are appointed by mayors or governors, while Seattle’s are elected. King County voters elect port commissioners every four years. Davis has had the post since 1985.

Although covering the same jurisdiction as King County, the port is not part of general purpose government, Davis said. This stems from discouragement among voters going back to the early 1900s, when Seattle residents upset with corruption in county government pooled their money to buy the city’s waterfront property as a way to get their goods in and out of Seattle. As the city grew, so did that special purpose district known as the Port of Seattle that candidates hope to draw attention to.