Brampton wards 7 and 8 Coun. Charmaine Williams’ latest lawn sign campaign could lead to a bylaw charge and fines for residents placing them on their front lawns, according to the city.

In a media release on Monday (Aug. 26), the first-term councillor said she handed out 500 signs, to residents in her wards, carrying the message “Please slow down. Kids are back at school" in black letters on a yellow background.

"The demand for the signs has been greater than the supply, so we rationed them to 15 per school area," she said. "It demonstrates how many residents are affected by speeding cars.”

Williams described the campaign as part of a back-to-school safety initiative aimed at getting drivers to be more cautious on city streets as kids head back to school in September. However, the city confirmed the signs violate the city’s sign bylaw, and both residents placing them on their lawns and Williams herself could be on the hook for fines.

“The ‘slow down’ signs… are not allowed under the current Sign By-law. Such signs may be temporarily used by people holding up the sign for a short period of time. However, the placement or posting of any kind of such signs are not allowed under the by-law,” said the city in an email response.

“If the City receives a complaint about the signs, an Enforcement Officer will be dispatched to investigate and gather evidence. In line with the Sign By-law, charges could be laid on both the person causing the sign to be displayed and the person that allowed the sign to be posted,” it added.

This is the second time Williams has handed out lawn signs deemed illegal by the city as part of a personal initiative. She was told by city staff in January signs she supplied to residents as part of her anti-cannabis store campaign were in violation.

“Staff has advised the Councillor’s Office on how and when these signs may be used,” added the city’s response.

Williams told the Guardian she disagrees with the sign bylaw and city staff’s interpretation of it. She included a letter with the signs including four sentences from the bylaw that she claimed meant the signs were allowable on private property. But the city confirmed that wasn’t the case and posting the signs is indeed a finable offence.

She added no one has been fined for the signs yet and doesn’t believe the city will issue any, claiming she’s ready to go to court or even pay fines for residents herself.