In August 2024, Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the adoption of a tax rate that is higher than the current Voter Approval Rate (VAR). This required an election by Harris County voters to either approve or reject the adopted rate.
During the November 2024 General and Special Elections, Harris County voters had the opportunity to vote on the Harris County Flood Control District Proposition A.
If approved by voters, Flood Control District Proposition A would increase the Flood Control District’s dedicated ad valorem tax rate by 1.581 cents per $100. This additional funding would be used for maintenance of flood risk reduction infrastructure across Harris County.
With about four weeks to plan, Elmore’s goals were to help the Flood Control District create a public outreach initiative focused on educating Harris County residents about Flood Control District Proposition A and gather input that could be used to inform future maintenance projects.
Our objectives were to:
- Develop a public noticing strategy to organize and facilitate 10 public meetings throughout Harris County in the month leading up to the election.
- Encourage all attendees to provide input, with a target of collecting feedback from at least 25%. Afterward, organize and summarize feedback for client.
- Earn media coverage in wide-reaching, as well as minority-focused, Houston-based publications to increase awareness amongst all Harris County voters.
- Develop and deliver messaging and content development for HCFCD’s education campaign.
The initiative spanned a four-week period leading up to early voting, which started on October 21 and ultimately included nine in-person meetings and four virtual meetings.
Through a successful strategic campaign, Elmore helped educate residents about the Flood Control District’s maintenance efforts, and ultimately, the Flood Control District Proposition A was approved by Harris County voters on November 5, 2024.
