The developer of the proposed Daybreak apartment complex has filed a report with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office saying that approximately 175 of the campaign signs placed around town for the upcoming special election have been stolen.

David Leibowitz, a consultant who is managing the campaign for the developers, said there were about 300 total signs placed around town. He said the value of the stolen campaign material is about $2,800, which he noted potentially makes the theft a felony. Theft of campaign signs is a Class 2 misdemeanor, with the value increasing the potential liability.

According to MCSO the signs were stolen sometime between 5 a.m. on Monday, April 13, and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14.

The campaign is offering a $500 reward for information leading to arrest and conviction in connection with the theft.

Leibowitz said they knew this was an issue a number of people were passionate about, but they did not think they would resort to theft.

“We would like to have a discussion about the facts about this development,” Leibowitz said.

The Daybreak campaign did file a complaint with the Town regarding the campaign signs of the vote “no” committee, according to Leibowitz. He said the signs are illegal because they do not include a telephone number for the committee.

Town Manager Grady Miller said the town did not pursue the complaint. They received legal advice that the state statute requiring a number of items of information on the sign may not be legal in light of the Supreme Court decision on Reed vs. Gilbert several years ago.