Case Studies

Client: Bloomfield Township

Engaging the media: Bloomfield Township Public Safety Millage

Situation
Voters had earlier rejected a 2.5 mill public safety millage that was needed to maintain existing services and to avoid laying off more than 1/3 of the township’s police and fire personnel. As a result, the township board placed the 2.5 mill proposal back on the November ballot. Berg Muirhead was called upon to assist with the public information effort needed to ensure voters understood what was at stake.

Strategy
With weeks before the November election, our tactics had to be swift and deliberate to gain voter attention and support. We passed the facts along to reporters and let them sketch a conclusion about the value of public safety services in that community.  

The Result
The Oakland Press, which initially had opposed the millage during the primary election, supported the millage in November. Additionally, the Observer and Eccentric newspaper group also supported the millage. The public safety millage passed by a nearly 2-1 margin, 13,144 to 7,762 and police and fire safety were maintained at existing levels.