Williamson County Emergency Services District No. 8

Project Description

In August 2024, Williamson County Emergency Services District No. 8 called for a sales & use tax election to allocate more funding toward local emergency services. If approved by voters, the tax revenue would help ESD 8 maintain and/or enhance emergency services through its partnership with Georgetown Fire Department, and support building new stations, hiring staff and purchasing life-saving emergency response equipment.

The ballot measure had failed to pass in previous years due to misconceptions about the ESD’s roles and responsibilities and a lack of awareness about the fiscal challenges it faced due to population growth. Our team was hired to educate voters on the facts of the issue and ensure that everyone’s questions were answered as they went to the polls. 

We began our efforts with a focus group of community leaders to better understand the local sentiment around ESD 8. After hearing their questions and concerns, we developed a two-part strategy: first, we helped build general awareness for ESD 8 in the summer months leading up to the election. We then pivoted to election-focused messaging from September through November. This plan ensured that voters weren’t learning about ESD 8 for the first time when they reached the ballot box, and that they had already been receiving a steady stream of information. It also aided in building a coalition of supporters who could speak with their neighbors about the issue and help correct any misinformation before it spread. 

We took a proactive, transparent approach to communication, creating fact sheets, FAQs, a presentation and a website with all election information. Colorful custom graphics and other visual aids presented the information clearly and effectively. 

We executed an ambitious advertising campaign that included direct mailers and print ads to ensure every household received information about the election at their doorstep. Buie & Co. also helped produce a series of online videos that clearly explained the ESD’s reasons for seeking additional funding and humanized the issue. Running the videos on social media and local television stations, we garnered more than 506K impressions.

Buie & Co. also coordinated interviews between the fire chief and ESD 8 board members with local media to secure positive, supportive coverage around the issue.

On Election Day, the sales & use tax passed with 56% of the vote — securing nearly 10% more of the vote compared to the previous election. Now, ESD 8 has the funding it needs to build more fire stations to serve its growing community and maintain rapid response times for those in need.