Win Your February Fire Budget Referendum by Planning Your Communication Strategy Now

Aging fire trucks. Outdated gear. The threat of slower response times. These were just a few of the reasons why three fire districts in New Jersey needed their budget referendums to pass. To fix these challenges and continue to provide high-quality fire and rescue services to residents, the fire districts knew something must be done, or their budgets might fail—again. They needed a robust public awareness plan to garner “yes” votes and sought out support from The Communication Solutions Group, Inc., a public relations firm with a 100% success rate running fire district referendum campaigns in New Jersey.

After helping Freehold Township Fire District #2, Jackson Township Fire District #3, and Hanover Township Fire District #3 to win at the polls, Communication Solutions offers the following advice to fire districts seeking voter approval.

Plan Your Timetable Carefully

To prepare for the February 2025 fire district referendum vote, Communication Solutions began its work in late 2024 to develop key talking points for each client. Although fire districts can’t tell voters how to vote, they can tell them why voting matters.

Once each fire district’s “why” narrative was created, a series of communication strategies followed: adding a “Voting Matters” section to the fire districts’ and fire companies’ websites to help the public understand the issues, pitching a press release to the local media to garner free publicity, and launching the awareness effort on social media.

In January, Communication Solutions assisted the fire districts in organizing and promoting local presentations at senior centers, rotaries, and other stakeholder groups. An oversized postcard, mailed to residents within the fire districts, was delivered to households in January (or early February at the latest) to reinforce how important understanding the issues and voting was to public safety.

In communities with hyper-local publications, such as 55+ communities, Communication Solutions purchased informational ads on behalf of the fire districts about the issues and the ways to vote.

From January until the hour that voting ended, Communication Solutions saturated social media with reminders to vote.

Get to Know Your Distinct Voters and Customize Your Approach to Them

Before campaign materials are developed, a fire district must understand the demographics of its community to effectively reach them. In Jackson Township, which has a large Orthodox community, the referendum vote was on a Saturday, the day of the Jewish Sabbath. To ensure that voting did not interfere with religious observances, Jackson Township Fire District #3 received an extension from the Board of Elections to allow voting until 10 p.m. Then, it promoted those extended voting hours heavily via ads, social media content, and articles that circulated in the Orthodox sections of Jackson Township. This led to a larger voter turnout in 2025 compared to previous years.

Name the Fire Companies, Not Just the District, In Your Campaign

Most likely, the public doesn’t know what fire district they live in (or what a fire district even is), but they do know the name of their local fire company. That’s why it’s critical to explain which fire company or companies are funded by the fire district. Repeat the fire company names frequently to avoid confusion.

All of Jackson Township Fire District’s #3 materials stated that they “fund fire station #55.” Similarly, mailed materials to residents served by East Freehold Fire Company reminded recipients, “If you have received this postcard, you are in Freehold Township Fire District #2.”

Communication Solutions also created a coverage map for Hanover Township Fire District #3’s materials to show that the district is the fire, EMS, and rescue provider for the Cedar Knolls section of Hanover Township and the EMS provider for the entire Township.

Use the “What If” Worst Case Scenario to Demonstrate Critical Needs

What if the budget and referendum don’t pass? This is the grim narrative that needs to be shared for residents to understand why voting matters. For Hanover Township Fire District #3, its 2013 fire engine needed repairs. Instead of simply saying that the fire district wanted to pay for this, Communication Solutions wrote copy about the negative consequences if Hanover couldn’t afford to have that engine responding to calls.

“The frame and underbody of our aging fire engine has delayed maintenance,” read its website. “The fire engine, one of two that we have, is at risk of becoming decommissioned as unsafe. An approved budget and referendum would fund these critical repairs before it’s too late.”

This approach ensured the community fully grasped the high stakes involved in responding to fire calls if the budget and referendum did not pass.

Provide Crucial Voter Details

In addition to informing the community about why “yes” votes matter, it's equally important to tell them the what, when and where of voting, and include them in all communication materials. Crucial voter information includes: ways to vote (by mail or in person), when the registration deadline is, and the date, time, and location of voting. In Jackson’s content, Communication Solutions emphasized that citizens should “vote after Havdalah,” the end of Sabbath, when the sun is down, and reminded them that they could vote up until 10 p.m.

Also include how the questions will be worded on the ballot and clarify what that means in simpler language. Then be sure to provide results afterwards and thank them for voting!

Crunch the Numbers to Reduce Shock

The public may be overwhelmed when they see a budget that’s worth millions of dollars, so it’s important to break it down and explain the average cost per homeowner. In Hanover Township Fire District #3, the average cost per household was no more than $12.85 per month, equating it to the cost of a pizza. Hanover also included a tax calculator on its website, so residents could discover their exact calculation. This helped voters see that passing the referendum would not hurt them financially.

Do the Work for Reporters

With newsrooms shrinking across the country, it's best to provide editors with a fully written press release that includes quotes and all the information the fire district wants to share regarding the referendum. Even if a media outlet doesn’t print a press release word-for-word, they can’t change direct quotes from fire district officials. In Hanover Township’s case, Communication Solutions prepared three unique press releases—why voter approval mattered, details on voting once the ballot questions were approved, and voting results— that ran in multiple media outlets.

Leverage Organic and Paid Social Media

A series of social media graphics should be designed and posted throughout the awareness campaign to educate voters. For Freehold, each graphic was branded with “Why ‘Yes’ Votes Save Lives” and the fire company patch. In addition to posting on Freehold’s social media accounts, posts were also shared in community Facebook groups such as “Freehold New Jersey residents.” Press releases, once published on digital news sites, were shared on social media and in Facebook groups as well.

While organic social media relies on the engagement of followers and members of those niche groups, Communication Solutions used paid social media to reach voters who may not be following the fire districts and fire companies. Ads targeted Facebook and Instagram users by zip code, and if clicked, they were directed to voting details on the fire district’s website or a published press release.

Reach All Voters with Direct Mail

The beauty of direct mail is the ability to reach all voters in a fire district. Voters may not be on social media or read the local newspaper, but they do check their mail. Communication Solutions designed eye-catching oversized postcards to catch the attention of voters in East Freehold, Jackson, and Hanover Townships. Designs featured easy-to-read categories such as frequently asked questions, ways to vote, and pie charts showing how little of a Township’s budget actually supports the fire district. Examples of frequently asked questions included, “What Fire District am I in?”, “What is the ballot question to vote on?”, and “If the Fire District budget passes, what impact will it have on my taxes?” All three fire districts credited the postcards for mobilizing voters, especially those who hadn’t voted in years.

Reinforce Your Messaging until Polls Close

Throughout the campaign, keep communicating core messages, details, and voting information until the final hour of voting. Use social media posts and stories to send out frequent reminders to vote. This is especially crucial when voting falls on a Saturday, as residents often have busy weekend plans and may need extra nudges.

Three Times a Charm?

On the night of February 15, 2025, all three fire districts reported higher turnouts and positive feedback from voters. In the days that followed, Communication Solutions awaited and received three exciting phone calls: All three fire districts won their referendums.

Luck had nothing to do with it, according to Leza Raffel, President of Communication Solutions. “Successfully navigating budget referendum campaigns demands a strategic, multi-faceted approach. As proven by these three fire districts we worked with, proactive planning and targeted communication are paramount,” she stressed.

By embracing comprehensive public awareness plans, fire districts can transform potential opponents into supportive voters, ensuring their personnel have the equipment and resources necessary to protect lives and property for years to come.

About the author

Kellie Francello is a public relations and marketing manager at The Communication Solutions Group, a full-service marketing firm in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, that provides recruitment and communication support for volunteer fire and EMS departments. Communication Solutions conducts complimentary workshops for fire districts on how to run referendum campaigns and volunteer firefighter recruitment campaigns. For more information, visit www.comsolutions.com or call 215-884-6499.