City Manager's Annual Report Annual Report 2018 | A Year In Review | Page 55

#IamPSL - OUR STORIES
Education for Progress
When the City Council unanimously agreed
to support St. Lucie County’s efforts to get a
new half-cent sales tax approved on the Nov.
6, 2018 ballot, staff knew it would take an
enormous effort to help voters fully understand
the benefits of this ballot question to improve
infrastructure. A previous attempt intended for a
sales tax increase failed only two years earlier,
with no Port St. Lucie precincts supporting it.
This time, the City took a much more proactive
approach to educating residents about the
benefits of the projects. PSL’s core Sales
Tax Team – Assistant City Managers Patricia
Roebling and David Graham, Communications
Director Kristina Ciuperger, Communications
Manager Sarah Prohaska and Executive
Assistant Jasmin Padova – worked together
in an intensive effort to create an educational
campaign to explain the benefits. This included
strong support from various departments,
meeting weekly with the County, creating
printed materials, social media and website
posts, ads, banners, media interviews, open
house events, internal education efforts,
television and radio segments – and working
with Council to meet with more than 30
homeowner associations and community
groups. The results were opposite of two
years earlier. In 2018, all but one of Port St.
Lucie’s precincts approved the half-cent sales
tax, helping it receive 56 percent approval
throughout the county to pass.
CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY
As a Code Specialist, William “Bill” Mahoney knows first-hand the
needs of the community. This insight motivated him to go beyond
his typical job duties to team up with local churches and other
non-profit organizations to form a Church Assistance Program.
This program was designed to help citizens in the community
who may be facing challenges correcting their code violations.
He describes his current position as an opportunity to educate
and connect with the community. Bill is looking toward expanding
the program in 2019.
CITY OF PORT ST. LUCIE 2018 ANNUAL REPORT
55