Facilitating A Successful Levy Campaign Dave Kielmeyer Vice President Funk Luetke Skunda Marketing.
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Transcript of Facilitating A Successful Levy Campaign Dave Kielmeyer Vice President Funk Luetke Skunda Marketing.
Facilitating A Successful Levy CampaignDave Kielmeyer
Vice PresidentFunk Luetke Skunda Marketing
Current levy environment
Early considerations
Know your voter
Cultivate the “Grass tops”
Building an infrastructure
Implementing the campaign
Agenda
Current Levy Environment
Skepticism is widespread
Economic times are tough
Growing number of tax issues
Local issues bear brunt of tax frustration
“No New Tax” attitude – New tax initiatives have low passage
rate– Renewal and replacements more
successful
Current Levy Environment
No one pays attention
Saturated lifestyle
Information overload
Current Levy Environment
The Good News
The public will accept a contract
Voter empathy for MRDD
Social service requests often more palatable
– less money than “big-ticket” measures like schools
Early Considerations
Business case
What do we want? What do we really need?
What is the public benefit?
Quantify the ask
Do the numbers add up?
Early Considerations
The importance of research
What does the public think?
What does community leadership/political leadership think?
Know Your Voter – Secondary Research
Previous vote history– Who has supported us in the past– Who has voted against us in the past
General election vs. special/primary election
Absentee voters
Know Your Voter – Primary Research (Polling)
Who do we talk to? How?– Likely voters based on vote history– Random sample of at least 300– Phone survey
Know Your Voter – Primary Research (Polling)
What do we ask?– Attitudes about MRDD programs and
services– Attitudes on board’s money
management/fiscal responsibility– Message testing – would you be more
likely to vote for if you knew…– Would they vote for levy– Amount of funding they would support --
New, Replacement, Renewal– Demographics – age, sex, race
Know Your Voter – Primary Research (Polling)
When do we Poll? – 6 to 9 months prior to election to
gather data to help make decision on feasibility of passage/what to request
– “Tracker Poll” 2 to 4 weeks prior to election to see if anything has changed
Know Your Voter
Election Environment
Analyze the election cycle– Historically when have we been the
most successful? Primary?, General Election?, Large Turnout?
Threats/opportunities– What else is on the ballot?
Optimize your turnout– Turnout the YES vote
Cultivate the Grass tops
Early, regular communications with:– County commissioners– Other local elected officials– Community leaders – business,
service organizations, chamber, major employers etc.
Levy request must be politically palatable to leadership and voters
Building an Infrastructure
Leadership
Internal champion
External credibility
Financial point person
Building an Infrastructure
Winning with people
Building coalitions
Optimizing funding by Labor Day
Building an Infrastructure
Professional help
Research
Counsel
Campaign support
Criteria for selection
Building an Infrastructure
Pre-campaign support
Basic campaign case
Grass tops buy-in
Highly visible opportunities for public input
Raising awareness
Getting on the Ballot
Deadline is 75 days before election
Know requirements and practices locally
Prepare all specifics of your request—amount of request, length of levy
Resources: Board of Elections, County Auditor
Authorizing resolution must be passed by county commissioners
Implementing the Campaign
Theme
Peg to benefits
Keep it simple
Make it memorable
Implementing the Campaign
Strategic Plan
Voter targets
Tactical mix
Time line
Execution – who?
Implementing the Campaign
Direct Voter Contact
Absentee contact
Direct Mail
Speakers bureau
Phone
Events
Door-to-door
Poll greeters
Implementing the Campaign
Mass Media
Outdoor – signs vs. billboards
Radio
Television
Implementing the Campaign
Free/earned media
Editor cultivation
Creative events
Case studies
Summary
Assume voters will be ambivalent/skeptical/hostile
Find out where you stand
Get your act together
Pre-condition the grass tops
Make the campaign efficient
Enjoy your success