The City of Findlay says noise from the political booths outside the Hancock County Farmers Market has been disrupting the market and the booths will have to move.
The city says some vendors and customers in the farmers market have said that cars honking and the overall noise generated from the booths makes it difficult to talk, and some vendors have even stopped attending the market.
Mayor Christina Muryn says she sent a message to both the Republican and Democratic Party of Hancock County stating that if the noise did not subside, they would have to move.
The farmers market, located in the parking lot of the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, offered both political parties a chance to have a booth inside the farmers market free of charge as a way to reduce the honking noise being generated.
Both parties were given the option to move into the farmers market or relocate elsewhere.
The city says the Hancock County Republican Party declined to move into the market and has decided to not relocate their booth.
Since the Republican Party elected not to move its booth into the market, the Democratic Party will not be allowed to have its booth in the market and has decided to relocate their booth elsewhere.
“I recognize that many individuals within our community want to show their support for their candidate and that is great! I am in full support of that as long as we are also being considerate of others,” said Mayor Muryn.
“In this case, the Farmers Market was there first and therefore has priority. I hope that each organization chooses to represent their candidate, party, and community by being respectful of the vendors trying to make a living at the Farmers Market and by recognizing we live in a country which allows differing viewpoints that can be expressed with respect and civility.”