Government and Community Relations

The Merchant Strategy, Inc (TMS) serves clients by providing access and building lasting relationships with elected officials, community leaders, and decision makers, offering strategies to guide clients through the maze of government red tape. Through government relations, also known as lobbying, we work to help pass or kill legislation, change regulations, convince the governing body to accept or deny a proposed development or provide an appropriation.

TMS provides community relations services to property owners, land developers, land use attorneys, architecture and land planning firms to build community support for a variety of projects. We may approach a project by developing stakeholder databases comprised of government elected officials, impacted residents and businesses, places of worship, educational institutions and utility companies. We make every effort to include impacted groups such as bicycle clubs, golfers, equestrians, and home building associations. As needed, our team consults subject matter experts to provide the best information and responses possible to clients and impacted stakeholders. We build a simple, yet engaging website to showcase project information and news. We organize and staff public meetings, and create and deliver informative collateral materials. We leverage our relationships, guiding stakeholders to embrace a new project. It begins as an educational process, developing credibility with all stakeholders.

We approach each project with a unique perspective and individual strategy. Our efforts sometimes include hiring a pollster to effectively convey and deliver a project idea or message. Results from polling can also be used to persuade elected officials and gain community support for our position. Team TMS actively attends relevant local and regional planning and zoning and commission meetings that impact our clients and partners.