Olathe ? A Johnson County commissioner has been cited for stealing two of his opponent’s campaign signs.

Commissioner John Toplikar was cited for misdemeanor theft after allegedly taking signs of Calvin Hayden, his opponent in the 6th District Board of County Commissioners race. Hayden’s wife, Kelly, and a campaign volunteer videotaped the alleged thefts Saturday.

Calls to Toplikar seeking comment Monday were not answered.

Kelly Hayden and the volunteer notified police after shooting the video. Police then found Toplikar with the signs in his vehicle, said Sgt. John Roland, Olathe police spokesman.

Hayden said his campaign has lost more than $1,000 worth of signs in the last couple of months and has filed four police reports for stolen and damaged signs. He is pressing charges against Toplikar, a self-employed carpenter who has served for two terms on the commission. The position is nonpartisan.

“It sounds petty, two signs,” Hayden said Monday. “But we lost about 16 of our large 4X4 foot signs, and they’re about $70 a sign,” he said. “The sad part is we have to put up our signs every day. It’s an ongoing deal.”

Hayden and his wife said they saw Toplikar throw Hayden signs on the ground on Friday. But police told them they could not act unless the crime was caught on tape.

Kelly Hayden and campaign volunteer Teri Atwell followed Toplikar all day Saturday armed with a video camera and walkie-talkies.

They then taped a man they say is Toplikar allegedly taking the two signs. Hayden’s campaign has posted the video on his Web site. The video is shot from behind shrubbery and shows a man in a red shirt and blue jeans several feet away taking two campaign signs out of the ground at an intersection. It then shows what appears to be the same man being questioned by police outside his white van.

Roland said Toplikar’s court date was scheduled for Nov. 26 in Olathe municipal court, when he would be asked to enter a plea. Roland said possible fines or sentences would be up to the judge in the case.