Predictions, prognostications and conscientious crystal gazing is often easy with some ballot measures or races.

And so it was earlier this year, when the Bainbridge Island Fire Department and the Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Park & Recreation District pursued ballot measures that asked the public to pony up the dough for significant — and expensive — infrastructure improvements.

Voters in February resoundingly agreed to raise their own taxes to cover the costs of $16 million in improvements to fire halls.

The park district also enjoyed much success in its pursuit of voter approval for bonds to pay for land that would create a new “central park” on Bainbridge. Nearly 70 percent of voters agreed to a property tax increase for the $5.9 million bond measure to purchase the 22.87-acre Sakai property for a new park.

Support for the fire department proposals was somewhat easy to gauge, given the input at public meetings where residents pleaded for improved services.

And the park proposal, too, also saw an enthusiastic group of citizens supporting the measure; a band of forward-thinking residents who waged a sophisticated and honest campaign that deftly deflected many of the criticisms lobbed at the proposal.

Now, the city of Bainbridge Island is marching toward November with the hopes of passing a $15 million bond measure to pay for a new public safety facility.

It’s been a long and plodding effort to get to this point. Talk began more than two years ago about a new home for the police department, and little has changed when it comes to the deficiencies of the currently cramped and out-of-date facility.

But while the fire department and parks system enjoyed ample amounts of built-in public support — earned over time by both agencies’ responsiveness to the public and their prudent approach on budget matters — the city does not appear to have a reservoir of residual good will on which to tap. And though the police department itself is nearly unrecognizable from the agency that drew little respect from much of the public years ago — those sweeping changes due in large part to Police Chief Matthew Hamner — it’s doubtful that the police department and city have fully recovered from their past  reputations. That’s a big problem for the city heading into this election cycle. There is precious little time before the fall election, and few voices are now being raised in support of the needed new facility.

Supporters need to find a committed group of champions for the measure, and soon.