A candidate for office allegedly used campaign signs that his father’s campaign once used. Sound smart?  The county registrar might disagree.

Atwater residents might be a bit puzzled this campaign season about which Rivero is running for City Council — father or son?

That’s because the younger Joe Rivero may have reused some of his father’s old campaign signs. In the process he hasn’t disclosed their use in his campaign finance paperwork.

The older Rivero, who sits on the City Council, admits that his son put up some of his old signs.

“He does have a few of mine,” said Rivero. “What difference does it make?”

Few or not, it must be disclosed, according to Deana Brown, the county’s registrar.

“Anything that they spend or receive, whether it’s in kind or not, they have to report that on their form,” she said.