Making taxes less taxing: a public safety millage campaign - Case Study

No new taxes. American taxpayers have heard this political battle cry before. Yet, in an era of shrinking budgets, no new taxes may mean not only no new services but also a decrease in the ones already in place.

Police and fire officials in Farmington Hills, Michigan, faced this situation and came out ahead. Together, they waged a successful campaign that secured badly needed resources, while strengthening community support for public safety. They directed their efforts to increase the tax rate. or millage,(1) applied to the assessed value of property.

BACKGROUND

Farmington Hills, a suburban community 25 miles northwest of Detroit, has a population of about 81,000. This figure represents an increase of more than 10 percent since 1990. The rapid growth in the city's population and that of surrounding communities resulted in a greater demand for public safety services. Yet, due to a lack of funding, the level of staffing, technology, and support programs for the police and fire departments remained unchanged. Police and fire officials appealed to Farmington Hills residents for additional resources to meet the increasing demands for service.

The success of the millage campaign can be attributed largely to good planning and organization. Police and fire representatives and community supporters developed a campaign strategy that included documenting the need for the initiative, placing the issue on the ballot, securing campaign funds, disseminating a consistent and credible message, and targeting and mobilizing key audiences.

DOCUMENTING THE NEED

Police and fire officials relied on a number of key documents to help pave the way for a tax increase. First, following a 1995 audit, a management consulting firm predicted that without additional resources, both the police and fire departments would be unable to serve the community effectively in the future.(2) Worse, the consultants recommended that police and fire services be reduced if more funds were not made available.

In addition, both the police department's and the fire department's 5-year plans, which were submitted to the city council in May 1995, established the need for the millage campaign.(3) These plans reiterated the necessity for such resources as additional personnel, a computer system, and a fifth fire station to accommodate the community's substantial growth.

The reports contained charts and graphs that illustrated past, present, and projected increases in calls for service. In addition, the 5-year plans emphasized that the departments' staffing levels have remained lower than less-populated neighboring communities. Based on these statistics, officials made a strong case for additional public safety services.

Moreover, the stated police and fire needs coincided with goals set forth in a strategic plan the city had developed in 1989. The product of a communitywide effort, the plan identified two public safety goals - adequate staffing and advanced technology - to keep pace with population growth and increases in crime.(4) Through these key documents, Farmington Hills public safety officials confirmed the need for the millage and achieved early support from public officials.

PLACING THE INITIATIVE ON THE BALLOT

The first step in undertaking any millage campaign is putting the tax measure on the ballot. To do this, police and fire officials made a presentation before the city council at a meeting in late July 1995.

City officials strongly advocated the millage increase. The mayor and city council members were well aware of the city's public safety needs, for members had reviewed the management consulting report and the 5-year plans, and many had been involved in the citywide strategic planning process. The mayor and council members approved the ballot issue; this gave campaign organizers 3 months to implement a communitywide campaign.

SECURING CAMPAIGN FUNDS

After the ballot initiative was approved, police and fire officials spearheaded the development of a special task force to develop strategy and secure funding for the campaign. Members of the Public Safety Task Force were selected from lists submitted by police and fire officials, the city and deputy city managers, and the Crime Prevention Advisory Board.

Police and fire officials estimated that they would need between $12,000 and $14,000 to cover campaign costs, such as printing presentation materials, signs, and other items. The funds could come only from private donations and in-kind contributions, such as donated printed items.

The Public Safety Task Force secured contributions from such sources as local businesses, the chamber of commerce, residents, and police and fire unions. Their successful fundraising efforts generated a $2,000 surplus, which city officials donated to local charitable organizations after the campaign.

DEVELOPING STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

The success of the millage campaign was due in part to the positive image of public safety services in Farmington Hills. The organizations had well-established community relations programs in the city. Relying on this network, officials developed a comprehensive communication plan for disseminating their campaign message, which emphasized the crime- and fire-fighting records of both departments.

Police and fire officials adapted their campaign message to various community groups and delivered it through a variety of communication media. Officials made approximately 10 presentations per week before such diverse groups as business owners, service agency employees, senior citizens, resident association members, and church congregations.

Because government employees are prohibited from publicly supporting a yes-or-no vote on an issue, officials needed to present the facts as clearly and as effectively as possible. They hoped that by stating facts, showing comparisons to other cities, and projecting future needs, they could help voters draw their own conclusions without telling them how to vote.

To accomplish this, officials used several methods. A four-page fact sheet emphasized that staffing levels and equipment resources had not kept pace with the city's increases in population and subsequent rises in demands for emergency response. An accompanying slide presentation featured simple, but effective, color charts, graphs, and other visuals. Because child abuse and domestic violence concerns hit close to home for many people, officials included pie charts that depicted the time required to investigate these cases and emphasized the importance of having sufficient resources to do so.

The local city newsletter, "Focus," published a front-page article 1 month before the election that contained the same information as the fact sheet and presentation materials. The companion photograph featured a smiling police officer exchanging a high-five with a toddler.

In addition to printed materials, police and fire officials used the broadcast medium to disseminate their campaign message. They produced three different videos that ran on local cable television shows, such as "Police Journal," which airs 2 days a week.

The videos included dramatic footage of police and fire department personnel answering calls for service. Dispatchers, patrol officers, and investigators made heartfelt requests for much-needed funds. One video contained statements from city officials including the police and fire chiefs in full uniform - and the chairperson of the Public Safety Task Force. One month before the election, officials stepped up the campaign video broadcast times to every night until Election Day.

TARGETING KEY AUDIENCES

Another important aspect of the millage campaign was the interaction with key audiences before and during the campaign. The ongoing relationships that police and fire officials had developed with various constituents before the campaign proved instrumental in securing support for the millage. These individuals included public employees and members of the media and community groups.

Police and Fire Employees

In addition to targeting external groups, officials marshalled the support of their employees. Because state laws prohibit public employees from campaigning on ballot issues during work hours, these dedicated men and women volunteered their own time to work on the campaign. The police and fire unions also endorsed and made financial contributions to the millage campaign.

Media

Police and fire officials met with editorial staff members of the local newspaper to inform them of the departments' plans to undertake the campaign. After the meeting, a newspaper editorial proclaimed. "Simply put: It's necessary."(5) This endorsement came a full 6 weeks before Election Day.

Community Groups

Police and fire officials knew that they would need the support of groups that represented key sectors in the community. Accordingly, officials made presentations to educators, residents, and business people to secure their endorsements for the millage.

The Citizen's Crime Prevention Advisory Board - composed of business, educational, religious, and neighborhood organizations - also was consulted early in the campaign. Police, in particular, have a positive working relationship with the group. The activities of the advisory board include meeting regularly with public officials to discuss concerns and to recommend crime prevention programs. As a result, members already were aware of the need for increased public safety services, and they were committed to assisting with the campaign.

After securing the support of key advocacy groups, police and fire officials began to target audiences who they knew would not readily support the millage. The most difficult of these groups was senior citizens. Officials knew that seniors, most of whom live on a fixed income, would be especially hard to convince of the benefits of a tax increase. Fortunately, police representatives had developed positive relationships with seniors through such programs as Police and Seniors Together,(6) in which police employees provide companionship to lonely seniors.

In addition, during the campaign, officials met personally with several senior citizen groups and emphasized two points. First, the additional tax would be levied once a year for only 10 years. Second, the increased police and fire services would reduce response times. This was a particularly convincing argument for seniors, who are among the most frequent users of emergency medical services.

TALLYING THE VOTES

On Election Day, Farmington Hills police and fire representatives achieved their goal. Nearly 66 percent of the voters passed the one mill tax increase to upgrade the city's police and fire services. The city will use the money to hire additional police and fire employees, upgrade its 911 communication system, increase crime analysis and institute appropriate crime prevention programs, and build a centrally located fire station to be staffed around the clock.

CONCLUSION

The groundswell of support Farmington Hills officials garnered for the millage increase was the culmination of a strategy that began long before the issue came to a vote. Building on a foundation of close relationships with community groups, officials and campaign spokespersons skillfully organized a network of community supporters who endorsed the tax increase. Communication tools, such as fact sheets and videos, effectively conveyed the need for and the benefits of the tax increase to seniors, business owners, and other key voters.

By Election Day, the question on voters' minds was not whether they would support a millage increase; rather, they wondered why officials had not asked for more. In communities nationwide, citizens often clamor for improved services but vote against tax increases to pay for them. Police and fire officials in Farmington Hills, however, have shown that the millage campaign can serve as a viable funding alternative and a tool for building even stronger community relations.

Endnotes

1 A one mill increase generates an additional dollar of revenue for each thousand dollars of taxable property. In Farmington Hills, the tax applied to both commercial and residential real estate.

2 Bennett Associates, "City of Farmington Hills, Michigan, Management Audit," January 1995, 34.

3 "Farmington Hills Police Department Five-Year Plan: 1995-1999," Farmington Hills Police Department, Farmington Hills, Michigan; "Farmington Hills Fire Department Five Year Plan: 1995-1999," Farmington Hills Fire Department, Farmington Hills, Michigan.

4 "Traditions, Progress, and the Year 2000 Forecast," City of Farmington Hills, Michigan, 1989.

5 "For Safety's Sake: Hills Tax Increase Is Justified," Farmington Observer, September 21, 1995, 10A.

6 See William J. Dwyer, "Building Bridges: Police and Seniors Together," FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, May 1993, 6-8.

Chief Dwyer heads the City of Farmington Hills, Michigan, Police Department. Dr. Motschall is currently an assistant professor of public relations at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and has served as an instructor for the Northwestern Traffic Institute School of Police Staff and Command in Evanston, Illinois.

COPYRIGHT 1996 Federal Bureau of Investigation
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