Prop A Report Third Time’s the Charm: St. Louis County’s Initiative to Pass a Transit Tax.

Prop A ReportProp A Report

Third Time’s the Charm:Third Time’s the Charm:St. Louis County’s Initiative St. Louis County’s Initiative

to Pass a Transit Taxto Pass a Transit Tax

The Challenge

Overcome negative perceptions of Metro

Establish need to resume service cuts

Establish need to expand the system

Campaign Strategy

Two-phase campaign: Education & Advocacy

Broad-based campaign committee Business community support Coalition building Targeted messaging Sufficient campaign/education

budgets Research and polling Follow keys to success

The Keys to Success

Keys to Success

Citizen-driven campaign – not a Metro Campaign

Identification of champions—community and business leaders

Focus on transit’s role in community, not Metro specifically

Professional campaign management

Fundraising

Keys to Success

Create educational website Develop Speakers’ Bureau and

collateral Design winning messaging strategy Implement Social Media Stay on message

Keys to Success

Number 1

Get on Message andStay on Message

Radio

Radio

#4 Long-term Vision

Educational Website

#4 Long-term Vision

Speakers’ Bureau Collateral

Keys to Success

Number 6

Build a Coalition of Support

#6 Build Coalition of Support

Use respected community leaders, to step up and deliver the truth about public transportation

#6 Build Coalition of Support

“I Love Transit”

Keys to Success

Remember Number 1

Get on Message and Stay on Message

#1 Stay on Message

“Hitchhiker”

#1 Stay on Message

Local Bus Shelter

Advocacy Campaign

Citizens For Modern Transits’ Education campaign softened the ground by educating voters about the value of public transit for everyone

Advance St. Louis’ Advocacy Campaign, headed by Mayor John Nations of Chesterfield, then told voters what to do: Vote Yes on Prop A

Advocacy Campaign

Advocacy Campaign

Organized get-out-the-vote phone bank Voter turnout for April elections

usually at 13-15% April 2010 voter turnout exceeded

22% (per Joseph Donahue, St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners)

Advocacy Campaign

Mike Shannon St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster

The Results

Overwhelmingly won the early vote Opposition demoralized by election

day Tracking polls positive Higher voter turnout Dramatic change in

“yes” votes across campaign years

Final margin of victory 63% to 37%

The Results

Increase of Support for Proposition A Compared to Proposition M

Questions?Thomas R. Shrout, Jr.Executive Director

Citizens for Modern Transit