Culver City Enlists TS For Voter Education Effort
On December 10, 2018, the City of Culver City officially announced the passage of Measure C, a quarter-cent sales tax that was on Culver City residents’ November 2018 ballot. Measure C passed by a vote of 70.73% Yes to 29.27% No.
Before Culver City residents voted on Measure C the City called upon Tripepi Smith to execute a voter outreach process to ensure Culver City residents had access to all facts on the Measure–especially in such a crowded ballot season. This is the second instance Culver City has leveraged Tripepi Smith to implement a ballot measure clarification process. In 2016, the City called upon the firm for voter engagement on Measure CW.
“Culver City recognized that the 2018 General Election would have a surplus of ballot measures and candidates for residents to consider, and the City wanted to ensures its residents knew about other measures on the ballot such as Measures C,” said Tripepi Smith President Ryder Todd Smith. “Information on ballots can be ambiguous and confusing to most people. Our shared goal with the City was to cut through the jargon so Culver City residents were clear on what Measure C is, how it affected them and what it meant for Culver City as a whole.”
The engagement resulted in a three-month outreach program that tacked onto the City’s long-standing partnership with marketing-technology-public affairs firm. Tripepi Smith took cues from the successful Measure CW project to inform the voter education and outreach effort on Measure C. In addition to producing mailers and graphics as well as managing social media posts about Measure C, Tripepi Smith produced two animated videos that broke down the complex topic of a sales tax into a story comprised of accessible language and imagery.
“It took all hands on deck to ensure that as many voters as possible understood Measure C before casting their vote. In addition to city staff, Ryder’s and my support, we enlisted the help of our junior business analysts, graphic designers and videographer to create (and distribute) an array of communications full of clear, objective messaging pertaining to the tax measure,” said Jon Barilone, director at Tripepi Smith. “Now that the measure has passed, Culver City and its residents have solidified a source of locally-controlled revenue that will continue to usher Culver City forward as an optimal place to live, work and go to school in Los Angeles County.”
One hundred percent of funds (approximately $5 million per year) collected from Measure C will stay local and fund the City’s General Fund for services such as parks and recreation, school youth programs, public safety and emergency response services.
About Culver City
Culver City is a five-square-mile, urban community of 39,000 residents surrounded mostly by the City of Los Angeles but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. It is centrally located on the Westside near Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Los Angeles International Airport. Culver City is particularly known for its well-run public school system, “small town” charm, growing high-tech and creative economies, and a dynamic downtown that is regionally known as a destination for restaurants, live theater, and art galleries.
About Tripepi Smith
Tripepi Smith is a marketing, technology and public affairs firm located in Orange County, CA. Its clients include for-profit, nonprofit and public agencies throughout the state of California. Its unique mix of marketing and technology prowess provide a competitive advantage for organizations seeking to leverage the Internet to achieve their communication goals. The firm also provides full content creation services, including: ghost writing, collateral development, photography, video production, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, email marketing campaigns and website design and execution. Tripepi Smith clients include: City of Culver City, City of Rolling Hills Estates, City of La Puente, City of Tracy, City of Cupertino, City of Duarte, City of Millbrae, City of Daly City, City of La Cañada Flintridge, City of Fountain Valley, City of Paramount, Rowland Water District, Valley Water Company, California Contract Cities Association, California City Management Foundation, League of California Cities, Institute for Local Government, Renne Public Law Group, Avenu Insights and Analytics, Inland Empire Utilities Agency and Climatec Energy Services.