Garland staff outlines 12-week resident engagement plan ahead of May bond election

City staff presented a 12-week resident engagement strategy on Feb. 3 intended to accompany a potential bond election the Garland City Council will consider calling for May 3, 2025.

The presentation, led by Leticia and Tiffany (city staff), described a multi-channel campaign centered on a voter guide modeled on the city’s 2019 booklet, supplemented by a one-page summary, a standard slide presentation, social media posts, translated materials, and displays on in-city screens and at libraries. Staff said printed and digital voter guides would be available for council members to take to public events and for distribution at city locations.

The plan’s purpose, staff said, is to “meet the citizens of Garland where they are” and ensure residents understand the propositions, why they matter and how to ask follow-up questions. Tiffany said the communications team will circulate a draft voter guide to council for review the day after the work session if the council votes to call the election.

Council members asked for materials that meet common local questions and make outreach consistent. Council member Williams requested a pocket-sized talking document and a short set of speaking points tied to the standard presentation so council members use the same information when discussing the bond; staff said both will be provided, along with FAQs that will be updated as questions come in. Williams also asked whether printed voter guides would be available at meetings and for constituents to pick up; staff said guides will be provided in hard copy and digital formats and placed at libraries and city hall.

Councilors pressed staff for budget and tax-rate context. A council member asked that the outreach materials include an explanation of how a bond with no tax-rate impact works and a breakdown of the city’s debt-service portion of the tax rate; staff said multiple presentation slides (six to eight) will address tax-rate mechanics and differences from school tax rates. Another councilor asked staff to include a status update on projects from previous bond packages (notably 2019) and a timeline showing completions and planned work; staff said they already have a slide covering 2019 project status and plan to include it in outreach.

Staff also described a collaborative element they called “Team Garland,” asking council members to serve as local connectors who will host or promote town halls, HOA meetings or open houses. Laquisha, on the communications team, said the city will offer staff at information tables at such events and can produce personalized social posts for each council member (for example, a photo and the line “Ask me about the upcoming bond election”) to drive constituent inquiries.

Council members asked staff to coordinate event dates to avoid conflicts; staff agreed to share tentative schedules and keep council informed. Staff said they are using Microsoft Planner to coordinate the 12-week rollout and to stagger topic messaging so different propositions are highlighted at different times.

If council calls the election on Feb. 4, staff said press materials and a basic bond website will be ready immediately and enhanced over the subsequent weeks. The council took no formal action on this item during the Feb. 3 work session; the call to schedule the election and any final adoption would be considered at the council meeting on Feb. 4.