Kalamazoo County Board to Vote May 6th on Putting Child Care Millage on August Ballot

# Kalamazoo County Board Divided Over Child Care Millage Proposal

The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners is set to vote on whether to put a child care funding millage on the August ballot, with commissioners split between supporting the proposal and wanting to see modifications to make it more palatable to voters.

Monteze Morales and Tami Ray, both commissioners who support the millage, say they have heard from constituents that do not. Morales specifically expressed interest in shortening the length of the millage, which as currently proposed would run for a full decade.

"There appear to be enough votes on the commission to put it on the ballot," Morales said at the meeting.

However, Republican commissioners John Gisler and Jeff Heppler oppose the proposal, creating a partisan divide on the issue.

The Proposal

The millage would fund daycare services in Kalamazoo County. The board heard from a number of local parents, business leaders and daycare operators who testified that the proposal would be good for business and good for children.

Andy Richards at Duncan Aviation and Andrea Meinema-Macklin at the United Way argued that parents cannot afford to work because childcare is too expensive if it is available at all.

But they also heard from residents who said taxes are already too high, suggesting the millage faces an uphill battle.

Next Steps

The proposal was accepted for first reading and referred to the May 6th agenda, where it could be modified before the board decides whether to let voters decide the question on the primary ballot on August 4th.

The board has taken the first step toward putting a millage request on the August ballot to fund daycare services, but significant changes could still be made before the final vote.

What Is at Stake

A millage would allow the county to collect a tax from property owners to fund the child care services. If approved by voters, the millage would need to be re-approved every few years through the ballot process.

The final decision will depend on whether the board can craft a proposal that addresses concerns about cost and duration while still providing meaningful support for working families.