HAVERHILL, Mass. — A Massachusetts man says his city government is trying to limit his freedom of speech after officials ruled that his signs supporting presidential candidate Donald Trump are in violation of a city ordinance. 

The numerous “Trump for President” signs in Richard Early III’s yard have been attracting attention in the city of 60,000 since last month when police responded to an area woman removing Early’s signs, throwing them and shouting. A vandal later spray painted the word “never” across Early’s big Trump sign. Early said there have been other incidents where his Trump signs have been taken or vandalized.

But Early says he believes he’s within his rights as a property owner to put up as many signs as he wants and that he has no plan to take the signs down. 

“I don’t think I’m in violation … it’s my property and I can do what I want,” Early said. “My response is that my signs have been up since January, and all of a sudden there’s an ordinance?”

The city disagrees. 

According to the city’s Board of Health Inspection Services, Early has a group of Trump signs outside his home that exceed what is allowed by a city ordinance, which limits political signs to a maximum of 32 square feet per property.

Early said his biggest sign, which is 4 feet by 8 feet, simply displays the words “Trump” and “Make America great again,” while a large banner hanging from his second-floor balcony says “Trump For President 2016.” Another banner reads “Team Trump” and “Make America Great” and “2016 Get on Board!”

“My small signs (1 by 2 feet) do say ‘Trump/Pence Make America Great Again,’ of which I have seven of those, and six that say ‘Trump for President,”’ Early said. “The signs they are calling into question don’t say ‘for president.’ And I paid for these signs out of my own pocket. The Trump campaign did not pay for them.”

Early said he also recently set up two “Hillary for Prison” signs, but gave one away.

In a letter dated Sept. 6, city Building Inspector Richard Osborne advised Early that he viewed the property Aug. 30 and determined Early’s Trump signs exceeded the maximum square footage allowed by city ordinance.

Osborne told Early that he has one free-standing, double-sided sign that measures a total of 64 square feet, and 19 lawn signs that measure 1 by 2 feet each for a total of 38 square feet. The two banners hanging from the second-floor balcony measure 38 square feet, he said.

Osborne told Early that he must reduce his signage to a maximum of 32 square feet to comply with city code.

Osborne warned Early that he had seven days to comply or would risk further enforcement action, including being fined up to $300 per day for each day he fails to comply with the zoning code.

Early said he is questioning the timing of this move by the city.

“If they came to me in January or February, maybe I would have done something,” Early said. “My point is all of a sudden Trump is gaining a little momentum and here we go ….”

Early said he is prepared to attend any hearing the city schedules on the matter and that if he has to go to court to fight it, he will.

“Who is the city to tell me I can’t hang something on my house?” Early said. “What if I wanted to say, ‘Early, making America great’?”

Early said if he has to enlist the help of a lawyer, he will.

“I will tell the Trump campaign what’s going on,” he said. “The city is just pushing a working guy around. My big issue is that it’s my property, not city property, so why can’t I hang something off my house? What’s next, will I have to paint my house pink?

“If they want a hearing, I’ll go to it,” Early said. “I’m not stopping now.”

LaBella writes for the North Andover, Massachusetts Eagle-Tribune.