Massachusetts city fines resident for projecting “Trump 2024” on water tower

A Massachusetts town has fined a resident for projecting “Trump 2024” on a municipal water tower.

According to local officials in the town of Hanson, the unauthorized demonstration ahead of the November election that pits former President Donald Trump against Vice President Kamala Harris has resulted in a cease-and-desist order, something the town does not support political candidates or politicians Allow signs on municipal property.

City Manager Lisa Green announced that officials discovered the projection on Oct. 11, raising concerns that it could give the impression of endorsement by the city.

“This leads the public to believe that this activity is being sanctioned or condoned by the city,” Green said in a statement Saturday.

While the resident's identity is not being released, the city has fined him $100 per day until the complaint is discontinued.

To combat the unauthorized projection, Highway Department staff installed a spotlight aimed at the tower, hoping to obscure the image at night.

However, the fines are piling up and the costs of dealing with the situation continue to rise. Officials said this countermeasure could result in significant costs, including legal fees and overtime pay for staff. The rising costs have led some to worry that the fines may not be enough to cover the city's financial burden.

This issue has also raised questions about free speech and restrictions on the display of political messages on public property, an issue that is likely to spark further debate as the presidential election approaches.

This isn't the first time a billboard for a presidential candidate has caused controversy. Last week, a 100-foot-wide, 12-foot-tall, illuminated “VOTE FOR TRUMP” sign was visible in Amsterdam, New York.

The sign, erected above the headquarters of Sticker Mule, a sticker and T-shirt printing company based in the small northern town, has become a flashpoint in a national debate over partisan politics, free speech and the has become a more Byzantine matter of local development regulations.

Sticker Mule unveiled the Trump sign last week at a lighting ceremony that took place despite the city's concerns that it violated regulations and would distract passing motorists.

Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino, a Trump supporter, said the sign was a matter of free speech and unity.

But Amsterdam Mayor Michael Cinquanti, a Democrat, says he just wants the company to comply with the law and argues the sign violates a city code that requires a sign to be on a business' roof the underlying company must obtain.

The city of Amsterdam, about 35 miles northwest of Albany, filed a lawsuit against Sticker Mule in the state Supreme Court last week, reinforcing that argument.

“We ask him to comply with city regulations. Everyone hates negative publicity in the city and I wanted to avoid that,” Cinquanti said previously NewsweekHe added that he didn't want City Hall's Trump sign issue to become a political powder keg.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.