Some residents in Clarkstown are upset over the town?s ?clean sweep? of signs.

Workers have collected hundreds of signs over the past two weeks because Clarkstown officials say they were illegally placed. The town attorney says local law states the town has a right for aesthetic purposes to prohibit the posting of all materials in the public rights of way. However, some residents believe the town is removing them from private property as well, violating their constitutional rights to free speech.

Town officials say the law prohibiting signs on public property has been on the books since 1984 and the highway workers have been given specific instructions not to take them from private property. They add, if a resident had a sign they think should be put back, the town will investigate to see if it was taken off private property.

Residents will have an opportunity to get their signs taken off of public property back during a ten-day period in January.