October 2020 - Parks & Recreation - 34

ADVOCACY

In 2018 and 2019, local voter ballot
initiatives for dedicated park funding had
a success rate of more than 85 percent.

Ballot Initiatives for Dedicated Park Funding
Exhibit Resilience During COVID-19
By Elvis Cordova

D

uring the past few decades, local ballot initiatives for dedicated
park funding have experienced a steady stream of success with voters. These ballot initiatives have provided local governments with
special funding mechanisms - such as bonds and dedicated taxes
- that can finance parks and land conservation projects. These types of ballot
measures have become very popular throughout the country, because they provide municipalities with viable options for sustaining new investments to grow
and transform the green spaces, parks and quality of life for their residents. Recent data shows that in 2018 and 2019, local voter ballot initiatives for dedicated
park funding had a success rate of more than 85 percent. Given the severe economic challenges being experienced by state and local governments due to the
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, one would imagine that this trend would
have buckled in 2020. Surprisingly, we are seeing that these types of local ballot
initiatives continue to maintain a relatively comparable degree of support. By
our count, there have been nearly a dozen local ballot initiatives (so far) that are
linked to dedicated funding for park and conservation projects throughout the
country. This notable incidence is a sign that voters continue to embrace these
types of funding mechanisms even in a difficult economic climate.
It is important to note that there
are many variables that can influence the success of these initiatives.

32

Parks & Recreation

Generally, a thoughtfully crafted
mix of robust public opinion research, strong grassroots communi-

| O C TO B E R 2 02 0 | PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N .O R G

ty advocacy, clear ballot language, a
positive and professional campaign,
and the support from pivotal elected officials can lead to the success
of these types of ballot initiatives.
These aspects have been incorporated into many campaigns that have
resulted in successful ballot initiatives over the years and throughout
the country. Developing an effective
campaign strategy that is driven by
the clear identification of community needs, relevant programming/
operational recommendations, consideration of voter preferences, and
the timing of the election is vital
toward achieving success. In short,
having a campaign that is clear, specific and transparent is beneficial to
the overall success of the initiative.
It is important to underscore that
last element; transparency. Being



October 2020 - Parks & Recreation

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