St. Paul child care tax ballot measure future uncertain
St. Paul voters will decide whether to approve a tax hike to help fund child care for families in need.
However, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said even if voters approve it, his administration cannot and will not implement it.
Child care is a major expense for many families with young children. St. Paul City Council Member Rebecca Noecker has been leading the effort on a child care funding proposal that is on the ballot and in the hands of voters during this election cycle.
"Create a dedicated local fund that will help thousands of St. Paul kids afford child care and early learning opportunities," said Noecker.
The ballot question asks voters to "authorize" the city to levy property taxes to fund child care for families in need.
"The average impact on the average household is $16 more every year. So, $16 in year one, $32, $48, so on," said Noecker.
Noecker said the need in the community is great.
"More than half of our children in St. Paul fall below that $58,000 for a family of four," said Noecker.
In a letter addressed to the city council, Carter said he will not implement the tax hike, should voters approve it. Calling the ballot question "misleading" and "functionally inoperable," Carter explained, "the available resources do not exist to meet those commitments."
Carter also pointed to ballot question language to "authorize" a property tax increase and called it "advisory in nature."
Carter also said equity is a concern as the funding allocated would only serve some families – and not others.
"This proposal would serve an average of only 404 children per year, at a total cost of $110 million in property tax increases. Considering that Saint Paul is home to more than 20,000 prekindergarten-aged children, this scope is a far cry from the implied universality of the question being posed to voter," said Carter."
Noecker acknowledges this funding will not cover all eligible families, but said she thinks it is a worthwhile investment.
"When children are ages birth to five, all of that brain development is happening, all of those connections are happening. It's going to help them learn and be successful for the rest of their lives."
If this measure passes, city council said it is on the agenda for Wednesday to discuss accepting the program plan.
