Five critical lessons learned in scoring successful tax-related referenda
By Paul Hanley
With construction costs continuing to increase and borrowing costs near historic lows, more and more park and recreation districts are returning to the ballot in search of voter-approved funding. Many of these measures are focused on addressing deferred maintenance, while others include new trails, parks, and recreation facilities.
Some tax-related referenda have been extremely successful, while others have not been remotely close to getting across the finish line. Any idea why certain park and recreation districts are so effective in building public support for a new tax? Here’s a hint—districts that win at the polls understand the funding proposal on the ballot needs to be derived from the community’s planning efforts.
If a plan is developed solely from a district’s or board’s input, the chances of success dramatically decrease. Therefore, efforts need to be made to engage as many stakeholders as possible throughout the planning process. This includes going “beyond your base” to engage all local taxpayers--including those who might be opposed to additional taxes—during the development of a master plan and throughout a pre-referendum program.
After working on hundreds of tax-related referenda over the past 25-plus years, our firm has learned five fundamental lessons that help generate the strongest results at the ballot box.