Lancy (GE) will vote on November 24 on the ban on commercial advertising displays in public domains. This measure accepted in January by the left-wing majority of the Municipal Council was attacked by a referendum by the Center and the Green Liberals, who denounced an “infantilization of the population”.
The contested regulation bans advertising for commercial purposes on public property as well as on private property visible from the street. However, it authorizes displays for cultural, educational, associative and sporting purposes.
For the pink-green majority, commercial advertising clutters public space. She no longer wants this “visual pollution” which encourages overconsumption. Commercial signage also weakens the local economic fabric, because SMEs often do not have the means to use it, thus leading to unfair competition with large groups, say supporters of the ban.
The referendums denounce “censorship which dictates what the population must see or not see”. They believe that banning commercial advertising from the streets is a way of imposing a single way of thinking. Opponents also fear financial consequences for sports clubs who would no longer be able to display their sponsors’ advertisements around their grounds.
Less revenue
The referendum also puts forward a financial argument: the ban will cause a drop in revenue for the municipality of 251,000 francs per year, or the amount of the fee paid by the billboard company. This sum represents 0.14% of the municipality’s total revenue, nuance the municipal authorities who support the elimination of commercial advertising.
“This ban is therefore an inexpensive measure in relation to the municipal budget and in relation to the improvement in the quality of life of residents that it can generate”, notes the left. However, we must add to this loss an increase in costs, not yet quantified, due to the maintenance of non-commercial signage which will remain authorized.
The City of Lancy currently has 175 fixed display supports on public property as well as 44 panels on private property visible from the street. If the ban is accepted, it will come into force on January 1, 2025.
Ban in Vernier
In the canton, only the town of Vernier has prohibited, since the summer of 2023, commercial signage on its public domain. The opponents, who had taken the matter to the Federal Court, denounced an excessive attack on the rights of economic actors. They were rejected. The citizens of the City of Geneva refused the “Geneva zero ads” municipal initiative in March 2023.
This article was automatically published. Source: ats
