Parks Ballot Measure

Opportunity

DHM began working with city parks officials in 2014 to develop a comprehensive and publicly supported parks bond package to replace the prior bond funding that was set to expire in June 2015.

Approach

DHM conducted an initial telephone survey in May 2014 to discover how Portlanders view their park system and test the viability of a potential $68 million general obligation bond to fund critical repairs and maintenance. The research design included a sample of 800 likely Portland voters and tested overall support for the bond, priorities for repairs, and messaging. A follow-up survey was conducted in July 2014 with 400 voters to track ongoing bond support and test messaging refined from the initial survey. Our research showed strong enough voter support for the bond to recommend it be taken to the voters in the November 2014 general election.

Results

The bond overwhelmingly passed with an impressive 74% approval—the highest percentage ever achieved for a Portland Parks ballot measure.