Wise men don’t need advice. Fools won’t take it. – Benjamin Franklin
If you haven’t already done so, I would encourage you to read Tuesday’s part one before proceeding because it covers the basics of referenda election cycle timing.
Having discussed why the Sugar Grove library funding referendum will fail, let’s move on to the similarly doomed U-46 school district ballot measure to issue $179 million in bonds to improve school security, fund school updates, and build some new ones.
Considering the library’s finances, I’m not terribly surprised the Sugar Grove board turned down my campaign assistance offer, but I am a bit befuddled that a school board that hires consultants all the time didn’t seriously consider my proposal. I will say they were very polite in turning me down, however.
So, why won’t this one pass? Essentially for the same reasons Sugar Grove’s question won’t fly with some silly amateur mistakes thrown in for good measure.
U-46’s timing may not be quite as bad – there is a 2023 Elgin mayoral race – but it could have been much better. Again, those liberal Democrats don’t vote in the numbers required to pass this odd-year bond request. The 2024 presidential election cycle the far more expedient choice.
Sugar Grove’s messaging certainly could’ve been better, but U-46’s is nonexistent. When the Courier-News asked school board president Sue Kerr about the initiative she said, “This is not us saying we’re going to spend this. This is giving the voters the opportunity to make that decision.”
What?
Not only does that statement make absolutely no sense, but it’s not the kind of confidence builder that’ll send the right voters scurrying to the polls. It’s not that difficult a concept! The district, and particularly the school board president, should be “selling” these bonds as an essential part of better serving their students in an increasingly digital era.
“Building a better U-46 together” would’ve been the perfect rallying cry.
Worse yet, U-46 had two administrators appear on WRMN radio who couldn’t sell a life preserver to a drowning man. I’m sure they’re knowledgeable and very good at what they do, but they utterly lacked former superintendent Tony Sanders’ charismatic capacity to make a sale.
Worser yet, the district had absolutely no concept of stacking the radio show callers deck. Considering how the opposition voices are always the loudest, I would’ve lined up at least five referendum supporters to dial in the second the show started to ace out any nattering nabobs of negativity. Instead, the three or four callers who did get through were adamantly against the referenda and they very effectively explained why they were voting “no.”
All that radio appearance did was further weaken the already questionable bond issue passage possibility. It certainly didn’t help it.
Lastly, I haven’t seen or heard any evidence that U-46 is knocking on doors or sending mailers to likely sympathetic voters. A few sources said they are making some sort of direct messaging effort, but if someone who’s looking for it can’t find it…
After being turned down twice, I didn’t bother to reach out to the Batavia school board, but I doubt I could’ve made a difference with their absurdly timed referendum. D101 is asking voters to approve a $140 million bond issue to replace the H.C. Storm and Louise White Elementary school buildings and make other district-wide improvements.
Why will it fail? Because they unsuccessfully asked the same question on November 8, and if it couldn’t pass on a mid-term night where Democrats fared far better than anyone though they would, what makes them think it will fly in a conservative dominated non-mayoral consolidated election?
Add Batavia’s very vocal anti-tax citizens group to the mix and this one has absolutely no shot. I still can’t figure out what D101’s 2022 message was – if there was one. The board’s assumption seems to be that Batavians will automatically approve this second request because they’re so cute. And after it gets shot down a second straight time, what’s going to happen, class? That’s right! Stick a fork in it, it’s done.
“Geez Jeff! Is there any Kane County referendum that will make the 2023 cut?” I’m glad you asked that question because there is! It’s Elburn’s $9.9 million bond request to build a new police station on Anderson Road.
It may be another dreaded bond issue, but the conservative voters who will dominate the April 4 election in a conservative town will give the thumbs up to anything police related. This is a too-rare case of perfect municipal timing.
So, what have we learned about local referenda class?
- Election cycle timing is everything.
- A referendum requires the same effective direct voter messaging that any successful political campaign requires.
- Each time a referendum fails, it makes it far more difficult to pass it the next time.
None of this is rocket science, but executing a successful political campaign does take a bit more skill. And it’s particularly ironic that a group of board members, each of whom had to win their own elections, don’t begin to understand that they have to apply the same strategies to these referenda. The fact these lapses come at the hands of folks ostensibly tasked with educating our children may well be the pinnacle of ironies.
Again, I understand the post-COVID reticence against heeding advice of any kind. But the sad thing is, with perhaps the exception of U-46 who could still make a 2024 bond issue case, once these ballot questions fail, it’s the end of the road. And who suffers for this vast adult incompetency? That’s right. The children.
What is annoying about the Batavia referenda is that is was just voted down 5 months ago. I know it was close but it still was a loss. Units of government should not be allowed to go out to the voters again for at least a complete election cycle. Pick what cycle you want if you lose then you have to wait two years instead of running out to the next non partisan election.