NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. -- Political ads may be commonplace at North Tonawanda's Canal Fest, but this year, where they've been placed is at the center of a dispute.
It all started after members of the city's Republican committee placed some ads on a fence along the waterfront, just outside of their booth.
North Tonawanda City Code prohibits freestanding political ads in public spaces more than four weeks before an election and the nearest primary is more than six weeks away.
Leaders with both parties say the festival has always allowed them to hang banners inside their tents, because they're paying to rent their booths, and that makes the space private, not public.
However, Democrats feel the placement of those Republican ads outside of the booth makes that space public property, and therefore is in violation of city code.
"We had someone go over there and talk to the Canal Fest workers and said 'You have to take it down, it's only fair,' and then it seems like they put them back up,” said Austin Tylec with the North Tonawanda Democratic Committee.
"We've been doing this and having signs for more than 35 years,” said Mary Jo Tamburline with the North Tonawanda Republican Committee.
The President of Canal Fest told Spectrum News for clarification that "during the event, that piece of fencing becomes private property,” or an extension of their booth.