Home rule means different things in different states. In Illinois, it means that there is no limit on the debt the municipality can take on; allows for new property fines, fees, and regulations to be imposed; and provides for property tax increases – all without voter approval. So, when the city of East Moline in the northwest of the state put a home-rule referendum on the ballot last spring, Quad City REALTORS® knew they needed to educate voters about the risks.
They tapped into the power of REALTOR® Party resources, turning to the state association for assistance. Gideon Blustein, Illinois REALTORS®’ Senior Director of Advocacy Programs, began by looking at local voter demographics and trends as revealed by recent in-depth polling conducted with the REALTOR® Party. “Like any good campaign strategy, we wanted to meet local residents where they were at. We knew proponents of home rule would have their own messaging, so it was important that we gave the voters the other side of the issue.”
Convening a mini-focus group of local REALTORS® familiar with East Moline revealed insights that informed a winning Issues Mobilization campaign strategy. “The focus groups made it clear that while it might be considered a bit of an underdog among neighboring towns, East Moline had been making lots of progress in recent years in things like public and private property investment, attracting commercial businesses, and nightlife,” explains Blustein. “Based on these points of civic pride, we developed a campaign whose principal message was ‘Don’t Stop the Progress,’ emphasizing that home rule could bring East Moline’s positive trajectory to a grinding halt. We also drew attention to the fact that home rule status would raise the cost of living and discourage new businesses from choosing to locate there.”
The two-month campaign involved a landing page, digital and tv advertising, and a series of direct mailers featuring messages such as: “East Moline has seen amazing progress in recent years. From housing investments to retail and grocery shopping to restaurants and entertainment – East Moline is heading in the right direction. That’s why it’s important to vote no on home rule: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” In an unlooked-for windfall, the city itself created a website promoting home rule, from which the REALTORS® were able to pull statements to use in their campaign against the concept. “We used their direct quotes in our messaging, to show that the city intended to use the power of home rule to expand its taxing and regulatory authority,” notes Blustein.
To close the campaign strong, these efforts were supplemented by targeted get-out-the-vote calls and text messages in the days before the election. Just as the REALTOR® polling and focus groups had predicted, the strategic messaging prevailed and the ballot measure was defeated by a whopping 68%.
To learn more about how Illinois REALTORS® is working with local associations to fend-off home rule status that would likely lead to property tax increases, contact Gideon Blustein, Senior Director of Advocacy Programs, at gblustein@illinoisrealtors.org or 847.899.1873.
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