Gerald M. Oakes is the current President of the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association and Director of Parks and Recreation of the Winnetka Park District. His previous professional positions include Director of Parks and Recreation of the Glencoe Park-Recreation District and Superintendent of Recreation-Waukegan Park District. Mr. Oakes received a B.S. in Recreation and Outdoor Education from Southern Illinois University and a M.S. in Recreation and Park Administration from the University of Illinois. Tom Richardson has been Director of Parks and Recreation for the Glencoe Park-Recreation District since February, 1980, 2 1/2 months before the tax referendum. Tom served as the Director of Parks, Director of Special Facilities, Director and Assistant Director of Recreation for the Glenview Park District in his seven years there. After graduation from Western Illinois University, he worked as Center Director and Recreation Supervisor for the Arlington Heights Park District.

Tax Rate Increase Referendums
Can Be Successful

by Gerald M. Oakes
and Tom Richardson

Governor James R. Thompson signed Senate Bill 463 into law which raised the Park District Corporate Tax Fund levy ceiling by referendum from $.15 to $.35 per $100 assessed valuation. This law took effect January 1, 1980 and in less than five months the voters in the Glencoe Park-Recreation District and the Winnetka Park District overwhelmingly (3-1 and 2-1 margins, respectively) approved increases to the new ceiling.

We have heard it. Increasing taxes is, at best, very unpopular; going to referendum for a tax rate increase is a certain waste of time. With the attitude that prevails from Proposition 13, the fact that many state legislators are co-sponsoring numerous bills to limit local tax increases and the assumed general attitude of "enough tax(es) is enough," the probability of passing a tax rate increase is almost nil.

It's not the time to panic, it's time to organize. Preparation is the key and there are, basically, five things that are most desirable to have to enhance the chances of a successful referendum: (1) Positive Community Image. (2) Clear Financial Picture Proving Need. (3) Unanimous Board Support. (4) Organized Citizen Group. (5) Local Media Support.

The five points listed above just lay the groundwork. A few other items should be taken into consideration. Do not take passage of a referendum for granted. Bending toward pessimism regarding the outcome tends to make one work just a little harder for success. In any case, it is probably not useful to exceed the stage of cautious optimism. Know the law about proper election procedures—relying on your attorney for any question you may have on the process. Draw upon the knowledge of the staff of sister agencies in the community with recent referendum experience as well as consulting commissioners and professionals in the park and recreation field having expertise in this area.

It is extremely important to establish early the responsibilities for work to be done during the referendum campaign. Basically three groups are involved: the Park Board, the Staff, and the Citizens' Committee.

The Park Board should take the leadership role by establishing the need for the referendum and the direction the campaign will take. The Commissioners should be in the spotlight holding public hearings, giving press interviews and speaking before community groups. The presence of the Director at these meetings can be valuable. The Park Board should review all printed material that will be used in the campaign whether coming from the Park District staff or the Citizens' Committee.

The Park District Staff should be responsible for preparing technical information, including research and necessary documentation of the need for the referendum. In addition, they should be developing time schedules to coordinate publicity, public hearings, planned meetings and other tasks.

The Citizens' Committee should develop a campaign strategy which will get out the maximum number of "Yes Voters" on election day. Monitoring of what the Citizens' Committee does is very important and a sensitive matter. The Park Board cannot dictate the work of the Citizens' Committee or the volunteers will become disinterested. On the other hand the Committee must have some direction and guidance from the Park District. A sharing of ideas seems to work well but with the Park Board having final review authority. If maximum results are to be achieved, the Citizens' Committee must be allowed to make many procedural decisions.

Start out from the very beginning and understand that the only way to

Illinois Parks and Recreation 26 November/December 1980

attempt to pass a referendum is to look at it as a political campaign. The degree of intensity can vary, but organization is an absolute must. Find a person in the community that is a supporter of your agency and that also is very knowledgeable and experienced in political campaigning.

THE CAMPAIGN

Persons in leadership capacities of park district affiliated and support organizations, past park commissioners and community leaders should be asked to meet with the Park Board no less than eight weeks prior to the referendum date. The Board should have a fact sheet and perhaps a slide presentation available to discuss with the group to facilitate recruiting a core of leaders from those present. After the slide presentation and discussion of the preliminary fact sheet, organizing becomes the priority. A handpicked person or persons with proven leadership, organizational and political experience, known by most of those present should be introduced as the chairperson, or chairpersons of the Organizations and Friends for the Referendum.

The entire meeting should be turned over to that person and, following a request for funds from each organization, a presentation of a prepared outline that the organization is to follow through the closing of the polls should be made. The organizational chart for the Citizens' Committee should include at least three subcommittees which are: (1) Telephone Campaign Subcommittee, (2) Public Awareness Subcommittee, and (3) Fund Raising Subcommittee. Following that, solicit volunteers from the group and put them in key posts in the new organization. Open posts can be filled through contacts those on hand know, and the "medium profile planned campaign" has now begun.

At this point the park district staff and commissioners become an input arm of the committee. All financial and historical facts are to be prepared by the staff and presented to the committee in preliminary form. It can be most advantageous to make use of a person in the advertising field to help put together a final fact sheet. Such a person's objective views can be most valuable. This person knows what sells ideas and issues and that input can make a difference in the transfer of important information to the voters. Once the "Fact Sheet" is finalized it must be decided what its distribution will be. A District-wide mailing, selected mailing or availability at community locations are options.

The compiling of a list by the Telephone Campaign Subcommittee of program participants of the last year by family for mail and phone campaigns is essential. This can be known as the V.I.P. List (Very Important Participants). A letter outlining the things that would suffer should the referendum fail, can be signed by the presidents of affiliate organizations of the district (Tennis, Hockey, Baseball, Boat, Softball, etc.. Associations) and mailed to the V.I.P.s along with a copy of the Fact Sheet. Another method would be to use a telephone campaign to contact the V.I.P. list. This should be done about three weeks before voting day.

As that letter is being prepared and

See Tax . . .Page 29

Illinois Parks and Recreation 27 November/December 1980

Tax...From Page 27

mailed, these very same persons should then be phoned by committee members and asked whether or not they and/or their spouse would vote for the tax increase. If requested, the committee caller would answer any questions asked by the individuals being solicited. Everything is to be done very politely and the caller is to always identify him/herself and the organization. The response, whether it be positive, negative or indifferent is always recorded. The "yes" answers are again to be contacted by a last minute (3-4 days before election day) post card to remind them to vote. Those that answered "no" are to be politely thanked and never bothered again! After all V.I.P.s are phoned and their voting intentions recorded, all positives are to be placed on a master alphabetical list with phone numbers and addresses for use for the post card and at the polls.

". . . that answered 'no' are to be politely thanked and never bothered again."

Another interesting tactic can be used. The failure of the referendum would mean less turf and playground equipment maintenance being available. A Reverse Listing Telephone Directory can be obtained and an informative letter mailed under the committee logo to all homes bordering parks in the community.

The Public Awareness Subcommittee should spearhead a comprehensive program to inform the voters. Such a campaign would include a Letter to the Editor Campaign, an absentee voter program, submitting a Guest Editorial authored by the chairperson of the Citizens' Committee and arranging for front page coverage by the local newspaper just prior to voting day. Soliciting children's input for a "What the Parks Mean to Me" poster drawing for display in local businesses and a full page ad with names of prominent citizens supporting the referendum are also useful approaches.

The President of the Board should write a guest essay published within two weeks of election day in the local paper(s). A letter or brochure over the names of the Park Board of Commissioners explaining the need for the tax increase (not a request to vote "yes") should be mailed one week prior to the election to all postal patrons in the District.

The always feared last minute negative letter mailed to all residents from "anti" forces can be effectively dealt with with advance planning. If such letters (typically filled with half-truths and innuendos) arrive one or more days before election day, the editors of the local daily papers should be immediately contacted to aid in rebutting any blatantly false accusations. The Citizens' Committee should immediately contact the members of the V.I.P. List with full background on what to say. Flyers can be printed and handed to incoming voters no less than 100 feet from each polling place on voting day. Total communication is essential among Board, staff and the park district attorney to assure that action taken is appropriate, accurate and written within all legal regulations.

On voting day a proponent poll watcher (be certain they all have credentials) should be situated so that the name of the voters can be heard. Mark off each voter's name that appears on the alphabetical V.I.P. list (posted in triplicate). At about 3:00 p.m. determine whether a large majority of those that voted are included on the V.I.P. sheets. If the outcome is not as hoped, take a copy of the list and turn them over to the phone call chairperson for action. Phone callers work most effectively when gathered together at a location such as park district offices (solicit attorney's opinion as to its legality), a local bank or real estate offices that have a large number of available phones. This is a most important part of the campaign; every person who is on that list but not marked as yet voted is to be called and reminded that each vote is very much needed. Once that phase has been completed all that can be done is to sit back and wait for the ballots to be counted.

Tax increases of the future are in the hands of the voters, as it should be, for it is they that ultimately determine the approval of needs. We hope we have offered ideas to help that approval process lean in your direction.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 29 November/December 1980