A Case Study of a Successful Park and Recreation Voter Referendum

To keep pace with ongoing maintenance and service needs, address inconsistencies in tax-based allocations, and increase overall capacity, many park and recreation agencies utilize voter referenda—a form of direct democracy, wherein citizens hold decision-making authority in specific elements of the public policy process— to increase tax-based funding. These referenda take a variety of forms, including permanent increases to property, income, or sales tax, or the approval of a one-time bond resolution. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a case study of a successful referendum process, and to provide a series of practical suggestions for agencies and nonprofit friends groups that wish to appeal directly to voters for additional funding. To do so, we conducted a focus group and a series of in-depth interviews with key stakeholders engaged in the referendum process. Based on this work, we describe a series of effective practices. Organizations engaged in the referendum process will benefit from the development of sufficient organizational capacity through a lengthy planning process, including a substantial “quiet period” prior to publicly announcing plans for a referendum. Respondents also described the importance of utilizing multiple forms of data (e.g., public opinion polling, and visitor use data) to help guide actions and build a clear argument for the referendum’s necessity. Relationships with community groups with compatible missions (e.g., conservation or sport-oriented organizations) were cited as valuable, as were bridging relationships with potential opponents. Proactively working to engage partners, and to defuse potential sources of opposition, was seen as a critical step. Communication should be tailored to resonate with specific stakeholder groups but constructed with a cohesive set of messages that are consistently applied. Multiple forms of traditional and social media were utilized effectively, with photos and videos used to simplify complex ideas. As a referendum eventually boils down to a “yes” or “no” decision, care should be taken to translate unfriendly ballot language into a manageable format. Because public employees may be constrained in their capacity to advocate for an issue, the development of a strong volunteer organization may be critical to effective communications.