Board raises fees for illegal signs and speeding
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a motion on April 16 to raise the administrative for removing illegal signs from $10 to $50 per sign.
These fees would be in addition to the $100 civil penalty per sign.
In 2013, the board approved an agreement with the state commissioner of highways to act as the commissioner’s agent to remove signs from the rights of way within Fairfax County and collect the penalties.
The fees are collected by the Department of Code Compliance (DCC). To date, DCC has invoiced sign violators $309,320 and has collected $252,710 in fines, a collection rate of 82 percent.
An amendment to the Virginia Code that took effect on July 1, 2023, allows the county to hire contractors to remove illegal signs. Approximately $440,000 was allocated for the contractor.
The $10 administrative fee adopted in 2017 has never been increased. Raising the fine to $50 would help cover the cost of vehicle usage and depreciation, fuel, invoice and payment processing, and contract administration.
County staff estimates the increased fees could generate $12,000 in revenue annually.
In another matter related to signage, the Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to install signs stating “$200 additional fine for speeding” on five roads in the Sleepy Hollow area in Mason District.
Those signs would be located on:
- Slade Run Drive from Hickory Hill Road to Valley Brook Drive.
- Rose Lane from Annandale Road to Slade Run Drive.
- Valley Brook Drive from Rose Lane to Sleepy Hollow Road.
- Kennedy Lane from Holloman Road to Sleepy Hollow Road.
- Radnor Place from Holloman Road to Devon Drive.
The Code of Virginia permits a maximum fine of $200 – in addition to other penalties provided by law – on residential roadways with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less and a history of speeding problems.
since all of those signs help to make the area trashy, why not fine people the same as littering? $10 or $50 isn’t much at all. We still see signs littering our roadways so give bigger fines.
Is that $440K per year for the contractor? At a previous rate of $110 per sign (penalty + removal), and a fine amount of $309,320, we’re talking about 2,812 signs – and then only actually collected $252,710 – enough for 2297 plus about 1/3 of a sign. 2297*150 = 344550 so taxpayers will be expected to foot the bill for nearly $100,000 to cover folks who never pay up, losing money on our right to charge for costs. Even if everyone pays up, the county will still be short nearly $20K on the contract. If the contractor is expected to get $440K, then set the fines so we recover the full amount without needing tax dollars to pay for the littering signs.
And don’t forget to add administrative fees for processing payments and collections and administering the cleanup contract to the cost equations. TOTAL cost recovery!
This was a great idea to help clean up the roads, now can we do something about the people begging for money in the median, or sleeping in the median?
Oh, like affordable housing that’s actually affordable! Or better support for those suffering mental health crises, including addiction disorders!
You can solve world hunger while you’re at it. Or just attack the low hanging fruit like Cathy suggests. Costs $0 and very effective.
Why hire contractors? The citizens of FFC would gladly fill their vehicles with illegal signs. Btwn Sleeping Hollow Road and Gallows I could easily make $1 grand