MILLSTONE - Something's missing from street corners this election season.

Democratic candidate William Nurko, a former mayor and committeeman, decided not to use campaign signs this year. Nurko is vying against Republican incumbent Deputy Mayor Bob Kinsey for the one Township Committee seat up for grabs in the Nov. 6 election.

Nurko and the Millstone Township Democratic County Executive Committee issued a statement Oct. 10 stating, "It's time to stop polluting our visual landscape with political signs."

"It's time to take action," Nurko said in the press release. "We pledge to not litter our roadways and intersections with any political or campaign signs, and I would like my opponents to do likewise."

As members of an environmentally concerned community, Nurko said, Democrats have realized that political signs not only disturb the natural beauty of the community, but also become litter and safety problems as "exuberant supporters of candidates tear the signs out of the ground and throw them around or swerve off the roadway to run over signs."

Nurko's Oct. 10 statement urged Kinsey and the Millstone Township Republican County Executive Committee (RCEC) to join him in banning political signs to help keep Millstone Township green, clean and safe.

Unaware of Nurko's press release regarding the signs, the RCEC started placing its signs in support of Kinsey around town Oct. 13.

When contacted Oct. 15 and asked whether he considered his press release about the signs to be a moot point since Republicans had started posting signs over the weekend, Nurko said, "It could still have an impact on limiting other signs that may appear. If not, hopefully I may have started a thought process for future campaigns in Millstone."

Nurko continued, "Who knows, stranger things have happened in Millstone.

"Maybe the Kinsey campaign may see the light and take down signs," he added. "Or then again, I could be dreaming."

When contacted about the Democrats' statement regarding the signs on Oct. 19, the RCEC and Kinsey "respectfully declined" Nurko's request to run their campaign without signs.

RCEC Chairman Steve Lambros said, "It's inconsistent for Nurko and his Democrat leaders to object to signs after using them for decades and then accuse Republicans of sign pollution in an Oct. 10 press release."

Lambros said Nurko failed to communicate his request about the signs before Republicans purchased their signs.

He also alleged that Nurko has accused Republicans of sign pollution because he has nothing bad to say about Kinsey and current municipal governing practices.

"He is reaching at straws and using sign pollution as a desperate attempt to discredit our good work," Lambros said.

Kinsey said he was surprised that Nurko did not raise his concerns about political signs when they met to finalize terms of a debate in September. He also said that he had hoped Nurko would remain focused on the more pressing issues that concern residents.

"We put up signs two to three weeks prior to an election to raise voter awareness and engage residents on the issues, and we begin removing signs on election night," Kinsey said.

Kinsey alleged that at least 30 percent of his signs has been vandalized or stolen. He asked for Nurko's "exuberant supporters" to stop "tearing out" his signs and "swerving off the roadway to run them over."

"That should help mitigate the litter and safety problems he mentioned," Kinsey said.

Nurko said that the release about the campaign signs came as the result of an article he read about Old Tappan in Bergen County that said "during election season you won't find a single political sign littering the yards or fields in the borough."

"All this in an effort to keep [Old Tappan's] rural character - much [like] my desire and goal for Millstone Township," Nurko said.