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4 <br />PUBLIC FINANCE <br />Tools and~.5trategies to Fund Parks and Conservation . ~ Seeking Votee $uppdrt <br />How Polls T3e1p.Peo~le .Build Parks <br />oils not only illuminate public opinion on cur- <br />rent events and help companies decide what to . <br />market,.they help people build parks, protect <br />natural lands; and preserve open space. From hiking . <br />'trails in New England to ranchlands in.Colorado to <br />neighborhood parks in Lns Angeles, public opinion polls <br />have been used to research and design dozens of state and <br />local ballot measures and secure billions of dollars for <br />conservation.~By answering the following fundamental <br />questions, a professional poll can help your community <br />secure~public financing for parks and open space. <br />What Do Voters Want? <br />In 199'6 public opinion polling helped community lead= . <br />ers build parks and protect open space in Dade County, ' <br />Florida. After an early poll revealed that crinne and <br />gangs topped the list of voter e.ancems, a strong public <br />safety component was built into a $x00 million park ac- <br />~,quisition and restoration measure. With support from a <br />coalition of families, senior citizens, and public safety <br />officials, the Safe Neighborhood Parks Act became the <br />most popular bonding measure in the county's history. <br />. The pollinDade County helped proponents connect <br />voters' concerns with the value of parks and demonstrat- <br />edthe importance of testing voter attitudes on a wide <br />range of issues, not just the environment. Some common <br />questions: Is clean drinking water of most concern to <br />voters? How wary are people of new government spending? <br />Are crime, gangs, and drugs threatening~the safety of a. <br />community? Knowing the answers to these questions sari <br />help you design's conservation measure and commun- <br />icate those messages with the•most,voter appeal. <br />How IlAuch Will Voters Spend? <br />'A successful $40 million measure will protect a lot <br />mote land-than a losing $80 million~one: That's why it's <br />absolutely necessary'to determine the level of taxing <br />that votiers are willing to approve and the most accept- <br />able funding mechanism --~-before the measure. is <br />placed on the ballot. <br />This~question was tested effectively in Ocean County, <br />New Jersey, iri 1997. /hen results of a poll showed <br />public acceptance of $10 a year for open space instead <br />of $'20, the measure's price tag was reduced. More than <br />' 60 percent of voters supported the Ocean County Natural <br />. Lands Trust Fund measure. <br />When Is the-Best Time to ~ . <br />Seek Voter Support? ~ ~ . <br />Is the time right to move forward? Although progressive <br />community leaders are often eager to put parks and open <br />space measures on an upcoming election ballot, polls <br />sometimes show that voters lack the same enthusiasm. <br />Postponing a ballot measure in order to build public <br />support for parks and open space can be the best way to <br />ensure success. • <br />(conpnued) <br />T H E <br />TRUST <br />F O R <br />PUBLIC ' <br />LAS National Office 116 New Montgomery Street,,4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, 1-800.714-LAND, www-tpl.org <br />~e...... •~~I' ~ ~ - <br />