BrownwoodNews.com has received several email regarding rumors circulating regarding the City of Brownwood regulating garage sales.
One email we received states that the City of Brownwood has been sending out their code officials to require permits at all garage sales, whether personal or charitable, which is being disputed by city officials.
City of Brownwood’s code enforcement official Kevin Pate commented to us regarding the information circulating around town regarding garage sales and asked us to let our readers know about the regulations that are currently in place. Pate said that the city is not regulating garage sales, but the placement of signs around town promoting the sales, which has been in the City’s ordinances for years.
See Pate’s comments below.
That information is absolutely wrong. The City of Brownwood is NOT attempting to regulate garage sales in any way. As a matter of fact the words “garage” and “sale” do not appear together anywhere in the ordinances.
Folks are not supposed to put signs on poles and streets away from their own yard because they usually end up being litter and there actually is some very old guidance on signs (just “signs” – NOT GARAGE SALES) in the City Ordinances…it starts with:
“In order to promote a positive city image reflecting harmony and order, the city council finds that it is appropriate to regulate signs and provide uniform sign standards.
New businesses and industries are increasingly basing their decisions to locate in a particular area on the quality of life in that area, and the regulation of visual clutter can help to preserve such quality and promote the steady growth that is vital to continued economic health and prosperity of the city.”
This language was placed in the ordinances several decades ago.
Garage sales are still very welcome in the City of Brownwood. Just remember to keep your signs in your own yard, advertise them in the Free Classifieds on BrownwoodNews.com or the paper, but don’t put signs up that will become litter. Real “garage sale experts” will plot out a course and find your location, don’t worry! When your sale is over, please remember the less fortunate and the convenience of donating to non-profit organizations, such as Good Samaritan Ministries, Goodwill, Matthew 10:42, and other great causes.
