In many cities they just bring it up again and again until it passes. They only need to win once, we need to win every time. That's the problem.
You are also wrong. Contracts, ordinances, and everything related to governance get rolled back or changed all the time. Especially at the local level.
If you have lost the initial battle you can do the same thing as them: you keep attacking their presence and you only need to win once to undo it.
What is voting for then?