Just after his arraignment on three charges for violating city code, Beacon business owner Jason Hughes said a judge granted him a two-month stay in this case while he appeals to the city zoning board.

Hughes hung the sign that read, "Resist White Supremacy; Vote on November 6, 2018" for about six weeks outside his business.

He received orders from the City of Beacon, verbal and written, to remove the sign. He did not comply.

"If the city were trying to adjudicate code concerns, they'd deal with the multiple abandoned properties. They'd deal with the crack houses," Hughes said. "They'd deal with the real problems the city faces. This city is trying to control content."

The city building inspector maintains that the city pursued charges against Hughes only because the sign was in violation of Beacon's height and size restrictions for permanent signs stated in the city code, not because of the language.

Hughes did eventually comply with the city's order to remove the sign earlier this week, but replaced it with another sign, apparently, to challenge city code and city building inspectors.

In place of the "Resist White Supremacy" sign, Hughes put up a sign promoting the upcoming school board elections with an additional statement referencing the debate he has started with the city about its code and how it is applied.

The language on the sign read: "You have the right to free speech*; School Board & Budget Vote on May 15; *as long as you're not crazy enough to use it (free speech)." 

Despite that change, the charges were not dropped and Hughes' history with the city was not erased.

In the most recent "order to remedy" for the "Resist White Supremacy" sign, the city's building inspector cited code for permanent signs. However, earlier this year, in an order to remedy for a similarly-sized sign, the city cited the more lenient code for temporary signs.

The only clear difference between the signs had to do with the statements Hughes was making with each one.

"There is corruption abounding," Hughes said. "It's time to do something about it."

Outside city court, an attorney familiar with the Beacon City Court system said he believes the city's end-game is not to censor, but to make Beacon marketable.

"In a city like Beacon, they're trying to create certain character to attract business, to attract money, to attract residents," said Anthony DeFazio. "They don't want that to be hurt by anything."

Spectrum News placed multiple calls to city building inspector Tim Dexter, hoping to find out what steps the city might take against Hughes' latest statement outside his business. Dexter has not returned those calls.

When asked what message he might share once the school board elections are over, Hughes said he would have to "look at the calendar... ...and find other events or issues that are worth fighting for."