St. Paul council overrides mayor's veto of child care measure
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
The St. Paul City Council voted to override Mayor Melvin Carter's recent veto of a proposal to ask voters to raise property taxes to fund early education, putting the measure back on the 2024 ballot.
The big picture: The council and Carter remain at odds over the initiative's feasibility and fate.
- Speaking to reporters ahead of the vote, Carter suggested he won't follow through with the program as written, even if voters approve it, saying implementation is "just not a viable option."
Catch up fast: The resolution, which the council first approved in July, puts on the 2024 ballot a measure asking voters to approve raising property tax revenues by $2 million a year to offset the cost of child care for families.
- Supporters say the goal is to fully cover the costs for lower-income families, while eventually subsidizing care for all other St. Paul kids 5 and under.
- The resolution also calls for using funding to support child care providers.
Yes, but: The money raised by the tax hike would fall far short of the total required to meet the need. Full coverage for eligible children under 2 alone would cost an estimated $39 million — twice the $20 million the levy would raise at its peak — per the resolution's own estimate.
- The language doesn't say how the funds would be divvied up or estimate how many families would be served under the proposed levy increase.
What they're saying: Sponsors said their approach, modeled after programs in other cities, would allow St. Paul to build the program as interest in enrollment grows at a modest cost to taxpayers.
- "The funding in this case really matches the way that the program should roll out," Councilmember Rebecca Noecker said.
The other side: Carter said moving forward with a proposal that falls short of the dollars needed without more detail or buy-in from his administration equals making "big empty promises to our smallest children," pointing to language in the resolution that says subsidies would be available to all eligible families.
- He argued the council's resolution lacks the funding or details needed for implementation and that the language authorizes — but does not force — the city to act.
What's next: Sponsors, who disputed the mayor's characterizations that they've misled voters with a pledge to fund child care for all and said they were confused by his assertions about a lack of authority, added that they'll soon begin work on an ordinance that fills in more details of the potential program.
What we're watching: The ultimate fate — and details — of the proposal could still change before voters weigh in, either via action by a future council or a legal challenge.
- Carter said he has no plans to sue at this time. University of Minnesota political science professor Larry Jacobs told Axios he believes a lawsuit challenging the council's authority to dictate such a policy via ballot measure would be resolved in Carter's favor.