There is no such thing as having too much support from the elected officials that influence your site. Whether it’s local, in-kind partnerships or capital funding from the state legislature, it’s a good thing to have elected officials that understand your site.

Can park professionals lobby? No, governmental parks professionals cannot use appropriated money to influence the passage or defeat of a legislative measure.

But there’s a lot you can do. Park professionals are generally allowed to, and should be encouraged to, have relationships with local elected officials and civic groups. Equally important is to have relationships with their staff. While you can’t ask/advocate for specific policy changes, you can share information, educate, and answer questions. These are all a part of a healthy and appropriate relationships with elected officials.

What Kind of Information is Helpful to Share? Know your audience - what would your local elected officials care about?

• Parks are investments in local communities. This research from the BEA is helpful, but try to partner with a university or professional organization for locally relevant economic impact where you can.

• People love parks, people are constituents. If their constituents love your park, they will love your park. Focus on sharing accurate measurement of visitation (maybe partner with a university?) or email us to chat “mobile data intelligence.” Don’t underestimate the power of individual stories and the impact your site has on them.

• Share what they care about. Do your own research on the motivations of your elected officials, and then help interpret how your park and the resources you protect relate to the things they care about.

Which elected officials should I share information with? Elected officials like state and congressional senators and representatives, county officials, mayors, council members, and commissions may all be helpful relationships to have. Chambers of Commerce and Rotary Clubs may be well-connected pipelines into local politics. Step one is knowing who are the important political players in your community:

• This website is a helpful to find your federal, state, and local representatives. 

• Here’s a good resource specifically for your County Executives

• The Texas Municipal League City Officials Directory is a good resource for learning the structure of your local government.

• Or you can also Find a Chamber of Commerce Near You

How should I share this information? Have systems for sharing your successes with decision-makers.

• Create an annual report which highlights qualitative and quantitative performance measures. Save a copy of this Elected Officials Education Document and customize it for your sites. (This is a new resource, and we’d love your feedback).

• Casually but systematically share feel-good visitor experience stories with your stakeholders.

• Develop presentations which can provide a park overview, information about your visitors, impacts of your park, and maybe the needs of your site through the lens of your vision for your site’s future.

• Seek testimonials from and partner with your friends groups or other groups that might have more freedom than you.

• Also look for every opportunity to invite your local elected officials to special events, grand openings, or just VIPs tours in your park.