In Round Rock, Texas, the billboard battle intensifies as a local group dubbed Keep Round Rock Safe accumulates a hefty sum of signatures, pushing for an increase in billboard presence along the city's highways. The group asserts the 12 new billboards will bolster public safety and aid small businesses, and handed over 4,203 signatures to city officials, as per KXAN. Surpassing the 3,189 signatures needed, Keep Round Rock Safe might just see their proposal on the ballot come May.
Despite the clear regulations against billboards within city limits where only one exists - grandfathered before the current prohibition - Keep Round Rock Safe persists, championing billboards to strengthen local commerce and enhance public alert systems for emergencies like Amber alerts, according to the Austin American Statesman. City codes currently forbid these billboards to maintain the city's aesthetic, but supporters argue that the electronic signs would contribute about $225 million in business revenue, a figure backed by an economic analysis from the Perryman Group.
The city, however, remains firm on the ban, citing the potential tarnish on Round Rock's "Scenic City" reputation, honored by the nonprofit Scenic Texas, and emphasizing that the current codes already make allowances for emergency messaging. City spokesperson Sara Bustilloz expressed concern about the proposal, noting it does not mandate that the signs promote businesses within the city. The proposed billboard locations are along Interstate 35 and Texas 45, locations which the group believes would not impede on the city's serene visuals.
Craig Holmes, the spokesperson for Keep Round Rock Safe, expressed both surprise and disappointment at the city's stance, alluding to the city's seeming indifference towards small business prosperity and the police and emergency services need for effective tools, he said "It is surprising and disappointing that the city is not interested in helping the small business community prosper and is depriving police and emergency personnel of an extremely effective and free tool to use," in a statement obtained by the Austin American Statesman. Furthermore, with signs at Kalahari Resorts and Dell Diamond already breaking the proverbial ice, Holmes believes there's a precedent for more.
The final decision now hinges on the verification process of the signatures and subsequently, the voice of the voters, as May's ballot could see this contention translating into a community-driven verdict. Round Rock's cityscape hangs in the balance, awaiting the civic engagement that will ultimately draw the line between visual serenity and commercial communication.
