By SAVANNAH ROGERS
Staff Writer

The missing campaign sign mystery continues in Peachtree City, as some question whether youth vandals may be partly to blame.

Candidates have had to spend time and money replacing numerous signs they say were removed from private property. Some supporters whose yards were "de-signed" say they spied a city truck involved in the pilferage, but the city denies any involvement.

"I don't know anything about a city truck," said runoff candidate Kathy Cox, "but I'm having an absolutely horrendous problem with exactly the same thing." She said four of her signs were stolen a week before the last election from yards in her own neighborhood. She has had to replace one of her signs four separate times, after it has been "pushed down, broken, pulled off ...

"It's an ongoing problem. I don't know what to make of it. ... Several hundred dollars worth of stuff has been destroyed. ... That's an awful lot of work and an awful lot of money." For that reason, Cox said she would definitely prosecute whoever is caught.

She noted one of her supporters watched three teenage girls on a red golf cart "rip the sign right out of the ground," on private property near a golf cart path.

Several signs have gone missing on Saturday or Sunday nights, Cox added, affirming suspicions of youth pranksters being the culprits instead of city employees.

Runoff candidates Dan Lakly and Fred Brown and their supporters have said city employees may have made a mistake, thinking the signs were either illegally placed and in the way of mowers or left up too long after the first election. All candidates reiterated how careful they have been in following the city's campaign sign rules, and the city code enforcement officer said there hasn't been a problem with signs having to be removed from public right of way.

"It's my first run for office," she said, "so I've certainly been extraordinarily careful to put my signs at least 12 feet off the roads, clearly out of the greenbelt and off the right of way."

July and August are generally the biggest months for juvenile vandalism, said Police Chief Jim Murray this week.

While he has not filled out any police reports himself about youth stealing signs, he said, "it would not surprise me" if it was happening. But he added so far, this year has had the lowest number of youth vandalism and criminal trespassing in many years. Last year the totals through June were 180; this year they are 115.

Many of those incidents occur at the city's parks and recreation areas, said Director of Leisure Services Randy Gaddo.

"I wouldn't characterize it as a serious problem," Gaddo said, "but it's one I've been tracking."

He said the vandalism "almost predictably" happens after school lets out. "It's the normal kind of kid stuff breaking things, spray painting it can get expensive and frustrating."

But the recreation facilities aren't the only places where vandals prey.

School signs were spray painted this spring at Kedron Elementary, and residents of a neighborhood near Sandy Creek High School repeatedly painted over vulgarities spray painted on a bridge by students.

The fountain at City Hall Plaza is more prone to attack right at the end of school and while school is out for the summer, said city Public Information Specialist Betsy Tyler.

When the fountain had to be drained this spring for mechanical repairs, she said the city waited "the three days 'til after graduation to fill it back. We didn't want it to be a deliberate enticement."

The city has spent from $500 to $1,000 repairing damage done to the fountain at City Hall by teen vandals who put soap bubbles and other things in the water.

"It has to be drained, cleaned out, you have to clean the gears and the pump," said city Public Information Specialist Betsy Tyler. "It can be prosecuted as a felony."