On the campaign trail, Mayor George Cretekos and his wife Carolyn walked neighborhoods, knocking on doors and talking with potential voters.

Many asked for political yard signs, Cretekos said. In other cases, he asked to put up signs. Cretekos would explain the rules for displaying the signs, which include removing them seven days after an election and not putting them in the right-of-way.

And after winning in a landslide election, Cretekos said that he and his wife went scouring the city for the signs.

But weeks after the city election, a single blue sign still waved at cars in support of his campaign. The sign, in the median of Greenbriar Boulevard, was brought to Cretekos’ attention Tuesday.

“My intent was to get them all out. I’ve been trying to pick them up,” Cretekos said. “I was overwhelmed... But my intent was to get rid of all the signs that I knew.”

Community development code article 3, division 18, section 3-1805N.1, regulates the number of signs and how long they can be placed in front of a home. The signs must be removed seven days after an election, and are not allowed in the right of way.

“Signs in the right-of-way are removed routinely,” said Terry Teunis, code enforcement director. “We do not cite the political candidate for sign violations as they are not typically involved in the placement of them and have no knowledge of their location.”

The sign is not in the city limits, it is unincorporated Clearwater, so it escaped the scope of the ordinance.

But not Cretekos:

“I will go out as soon as we hang up... We’ll go and take care of it right away.”

By Wednesday morning, the sign was gone.

*updated 8:06 p.m. Feb. 22, 2012.