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Consultants outline city education campaign and PAC tactics for May 2026 fire funding measure
Summary
Praxis Political Consulting told Troutdale’s Public Safety Services Delivery Working Group the city can run an informational education effort while an independent PAC pursues persuasion and fundraising; consultants recommended a coordinated poll by July, tailored outreach to seniors and major employers, and estimated city-side work at $25,000–$35,000.
Praxis Political Consulting presented a two-track approach Tuesday for any city measure to fund fire and emergency services: a city-funded informational campaign to educate voters and an independent political action committee (PAC) to raise money and persuade voters.
Megan Weaver, a Praxis partner, said the "city side effort is focused on education, not advocacy," and described a phased program of pre-referral work and post-referral informational materials. Jake Wegler, also a Praxis partner, described the PAC role: "[A PAC is] focused on promoting a yes vote specifically," including fundraising, targeted mail and digital ads, and grassroots volunteer work.
The consultants said they are coordinating a three-city poll and expect polling results to be available by July to inform the choice of revenue option and ballot timing. Weaver said Praxis typically manages vendor relationships and messaging and supports weekly project coordination with city staff. Praxis quoted a public-sector rate of $250 an hour and estimated a typical 8–12 month city-side engagement at $25,000–$35,000, while cautioning campaign budgets vary by scale and fundraising capacity.
Praxis recommended a detailed outreach plan: community surveys, town halls, presentations to civic groups, speaker training for elected officials and staff, and tailored messages for specific populations such as seniors and large employers. Wegler emphasized keeping the city’s informational activities separate from PAC advocacy to comply with state rules and suggested that multiple cities might share a common message framework for efficiency.
The consultants also outlined persuasion tactics a PAC would use — voter guide statements, door-knocking, phone and text outreach, targeted digital ads, and placements in local media — and presented examples from recent public-safety campaigns in other Oregon cities. They said the most cost-effective paid placements include voter pamphlet statements and targeted mailings to likely voters.
Committee members asked about message nuance (for seniors and for audiences sensitive to police-related language), coordination among Troutdale, Wood Village and Fairview, and whether a shared PAC would make sense. Weaver and Wegler said a joint approach could save resources but would require careful alignment on messaging and legal separation between city and PAC activity.
Next steps on the timeline included completion of the shared poll by July and, if the cities proceed, further planning in early 2026 ahead of a potential May 2026 ballot.
Praxis’s materials and examples were provided to the committee for follow-up.
