Former Mayor Ralph Becker says billboards are a "blight" on Utah's landscape. (File)
SALT LAKE CITY — The former mayor of Salt Lake City isn’t in office anymore, but is continuing his fight against the state’s billboards.
Ralph Becker calls billboards an embarrassing “blight” on Utah’s iconic scenery. He says they are deterrents to economic development and are fueled by the massive political influence of large corporations.
He’s launched a new effort to combat the signs with a state chapter of the national nonprofit Scenic America, a group dedicated to preserving the visual character of American communities.
Scenic Utah is hosting a day-long conference in Salt Lake on October 12 in Salt Lake City.
Becker has had a longstanding beef with billboards, and specifically Reagan Outdoor Advertising – the state’s largest billboard company – who has said billboard regulation is bad for business and most people don’t think they’re a problem.