Campaign Overview

         Tulsa streets are the casualty of more than $1 billion of decades-old shortfalls in funding for new construction, maintenance and repair.

 The issue.

In fall 2007, Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor and city councilors created a citizens committee to analyze the condition of Tulsa streets and make recommendations to city leadership on next steps. The panel reported its findings, and the Office of the Mayor, along with city councilors, launched a series of town hall meetings throughout the community to listen to what average citizens had to say.           

            Using residents’ input from these meetings, and with additional input from city officials, a five-year street improvements package comprised of two propositions was ultimately approved by the Tulsa City Council and placed on the Nov. 4 ballot. The mayor, city officials and community leaders put together an experienced and bipartisan campaign team, led by political consultant Sheryl Lovelady, to garner support for the plan. Based on resounding demands by residents at Tulsa’s town hall meetings, the campaign was titled “Fix Our Streets.” 

With no funding help from the city or state, the “Fix Our Streets” team embarked on a community fundraising phase before it was able to begin any tactic in its public affairs campaign. The campaign fund was set up through the Tulsa Metro Chamber (a nonprofit entity) with a new 501(c)3 account dedicated to streets initiatives.

The solution.

            In late August and with a budget of $28,850, Waller & Company was hired to manage all aspects of the public affairs campaign’s non-advertising strategies to educate Tulsa residents of voting age on the benefits of passing two separate propositions in the streets funding package. Aside from the campaign’s short timeframe, uncertain economic conditions nationwide also presented a challenge to gaining support for the tax renewals and increases that were part of the proposed streets plan.

            Over a three-month period, our public affairs campaign moved polling numbers for the second half of the needed “yes” vote by an unprecedented 30 polling points. On Nov. 4, Tulsa residents approved both streets plan propositions by 61 and 60 percent.