McHenry County Blog

Unicom, Arc has advised numerous referendums in Illinois since 2001.

And, it has been paid well.

About $463,000, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections web site. (And I found another $40,000 from a private foundation in Springfield.)

There’s really no way to tell whom the referendum consulting firm is working for this spring. Only campaign contributions have to be revealed before the election. Expenditures don’t become public until the July semi-annual reports are filed. Unsatisfactory, but, “It is what it is,” as my wife would say.

But here’s what the firm says it can do. (You tell me if it sounds like what is happening in District 300.)

Comprehensive referendum consulting services include:

· Theme and message development
· Writing/production of all campaign materials, including:
· Campaign plans
· Signage & Canvass materials
· Campaign mailers
· Print & television/radio advertising
· Editorials and other communications vehicles
· Direct voter contact – planning and training
· Database management, including voter analysis and targeting
· Addressing opposition
· Speaker training
· Get-out-the-vote programs

In addition to complete campaign consulting, we also offer training, seminars and workshops to help build effective campaigns.

We do know what school district tax hike committees Unicom Arc has worked for in the past, however, from campaign disclosure reports.

And, District 300 is one of the “success stories” featured on its web site.

Here’s the text of the enticement for other school tax hikers to call for advice:
Client:

Community Unit School District 300

Challenge: Like many of the districts in the Fox River Valley, District 300 was facing rapidly growing enrollment that is likely to continue well into the future. As the largest geographic district in Illinois, there is still plenty of room for new home construction. District 300 had lost three elections in a row, and was home to Illinois’ leading anti-tax proponent.

Solution: UNICOM•ARC helped District 300 create FACE, the Facility Advisory Committee for Education. FACE, which involved the participation of thousands of district residents including many who had opposed previous referenda, developed a comprehensive building improvement program. UNICOM•ARC worked with SchoolsNow for District 300 in developing a very innovative campaign that included pioneering web site use, video, door-to-door campaigning, and direct mail. UNICOM•ARC also worked with the committee in successfully responding to the aggressive anti-tax…[end of what can be seen]

And what did the District 300 tax hikers pay Unicom, Arc?

The differently identified District 300 tax hike committee--now morphed into “Advance 300”--paid $9,125 to Unicom Arc April 11, 2005, for “Survey, Schools Now For District # 300 Committee.” Under a previous name, the District 300 tax hike committee paid Unicom Arc was paid $1,000 for “consulting fees” on June 2, 2003, and $7,500 in on June 5, 2002. On April 23rd and 24th of the same year, Unicom received checks for $1,572.64 and $825.56, respectively. $5,000 more was paid on March 19,2002. The firm got another $15,000 on March 4, 2002. September through the end of 2001 saw the tax hike committee pay $12,255.13 in bills to Unicom ($4,000 on 9/10, $8,000 on 10/28 and $ 255.13 on 12/5). And, there’s another $4,000 on September 10, 2001.

Here is Illinois Loop’s Kevin Killion’s take on Unicom Arc.

What follows are payments starting with the present and working backwards as long as the St. Louis has been helping raise taxes in Illinois.

For the 14 other Illinois clients, click here.

Labels: Advance 300, District 300, FACE, Facility Advisory Committee for Education, SchoolsNow for District 300, Unicom, Unicom ARC