April 2009

Johnson County Libertarians Defeat Zoning Ballot Issue

Johnson County (MO) Libertarians led a successful grass-roots campaign to block county-wide planning and zoning. County Libertarian Party Chairman Bill Wayne, who spent 18 months attending bi-monthly meetings of the commission that wrote the plan to be voted on, identified possible points of attack and served as a chief spokesman for zoning opponents.

Vice-Chair Randy Langkraehr organized a non-partisan committee, Johnson Liberty, and directed its multi-faceted anti-zoning campaign. Johnson Liberty produced flyers and door hangers distributed throughout the county, print ads in all newspapers serving county residents, bumper stickers, and yard signs.

The radio campaign included a series of five 10-minute radio talk programs to explain the flaws in the proposal as well as 30 and 60 second spots on two county stations. The committee sponsored outreach booths at local events and hosted a campaign rally, and provided a campaign website with Myspace and Facebook presence. Committee members also worked with members of another group to place over 60 large signs (4x4 or 4x8 foot) in strategic locations around the county.

Since the proposed zoning rules were rather vague, the committee focused on issues such as ease of change and cost, and capitalized on voter distrust of the current County Commission. The zoning proposal failed overwhelmingly, rejected by 78% of voters.

County Chairman Bill Wayne said, “The organizational and campaign skills of our local Libertarians were crucial to focus generalized anti-zoning sentiment into an overwhelming victory in only 75 days. We see Johnson Liberty as a continuing force in local issue-driven politics, and we believe our involvement will help grow the Libertarian Party locally.”