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Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

Low-key campaign worked for Bibb sales tax proponents

The effort to persuade Bibb County voters to back Tuesday’s sales tax initiative may have been viewed as a “stealth campaign” in some quarters, carried out without heavy advertising.

Behind the scenes, though, there was a lot of energy to the low-key approach, proponents said.

The Committee to Invest in Bibb County’s Future — a group of only about eight people — spent about $6,000 and had in-kind services that helped generate 60 commercials and promote the cause on about 500 signs around town.

“We went to schools at night and spoke to (Parent Teacher Organizations) about the campaign and what (improvements) would happen at each school,” said Gene Dunwody Jr., a committee co-chair. “We even called parents of private school students to talk to them about how having a strong public school system will help this community.”

Members of the committee also reached out to church groups across town to state their case.

The strategy paid off. Voters in all 41 precincts in Bibb County decided to support another five-year sales tax for school upgrades, from 2011 to 2015. The penny sales tax will generate up to $198.5 million for about 30 school projects.

Some residents had expressed reluctance to approve a third education sales tax initiative in the last nine years.

There also were 2000 and 2005 education local option sales tax campaigns.

“Once these things get voted in, they never go away,” said one resident, Ron Harrell, who voted against the latest sales tax renewal.

There also were questions about the school system’s leadership and often lagging test scores.

But that didn’t sway enough voters against school improvements.

“There were personal attacks from those opposing it, and I think it definitely had an effect on how people were feeling,” Dunwody said. “But new schools won’t make test scores go down.”

“I think (the school system) has hit rock bottom and turned the corner, and you will see higher performance” in the years ahead.

Community support for the 2010 sales tax initiative was more about residents saying they wanted to improve the community, and education is a big component of that, he said.

Tuesday’s voter confidence also may have come from seeing new high schools and other upgrades now visible in the community that resulted from the current penny sales tax, which expires next year, Superintendent Sharon Patterson said.

The new list of projects also was clearly stated, she said, which probably helped residents identify with the need.

There had been no discussion about what would have happened had the sales tax not passed, Patterson said.

But the need to repair and build new schools would not have gone away, school officials said.

“This is an excellent way to get infrastructure done without impacting property owners,” Patterson said.

To contact writer Julie Hubbard, call 744-4331.