ROUND ROCK, Texas — The City of Round Rock won't be putting up billboards anytime soon.
On Dec. 26, political action committee Keep Round Rock Safe submitted a petition to add 12 new billboards to I-35 and SH 45.
However, following the three-week validation process, the City denied the request on Tuesday.
The City of Round Rock made its ultimate decision after attempting to validate more than 4,000 signatures, of which more than 1,300 were found to be invalid.
In order for signatures to pass the validation process, at least 5% have to come from registered voters within the city. More than 1,200 of the invalid signatures were from residents in surrounding areas.
Keep Round Rock Safe first started its fight for new billboards alongside MediaChoice in 2022, urging the City to amend its current stance to "enhance the physical appearance of the community," which limits outdoor signage boards, according to a spokesperson.
In mid 2023, the committee began sending out text surveys and collecting door-to-door signatures, a process which city officials did not agree with.
"I have shared my disappointment with the techniques used by this PAC to obtain signatures, including unauthorized use of the City's logo and several misleading statements in their marketing materials," Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan said. "This has been an exercise in our democratic process and at this time, the PAC's failure to secure sufficient valid signatures has shown that adding 12 new electronic billboards to Round Rock's landscape is not a priority for our residents."
After failing the validation process, the issue can no longer be taken into consideration for the upcoming spring ballot.
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