voters of St. Paul will decide whether to approve a tax increase to help fund child care for needy families.

However, the mayor of St. Paul, Melvin Carter, said even if voters approve it, his administration cannot and will not implement it.

Childcare is a major expense for many families with young children. Rebecca Noecker, a member of the City Council of the City of St. Paul, led the effort to get a child care funding proposal on the ballot and in the hands of voters this election cycle.

“Create a dedicated local fund that will help thousands of children in St. Paul to afford childcare and early learning opportunities,” Noecker said.

The ballot question asks voters to “authorize” the city to levy property taxes to fund child care for needy families.

“The average impact on the average household is $16 more each year. So $16 in the first year, $32, $48, and so on,” Noecker said.

Noecker said the need in the community is great.

“More than half of our children in St. Paul fall below $58,000 for a family of four,” Noecker said.

In a letter to the city council, Carter said he would not implement the tax increase if voters approve it. Calling the ballot question “misleading” and “functionally unworkable,” Carter explained, “the available resources do not exist to meet these commitments.”

Carter also pointed to the language of the ballot questions to “authorize” a property tax increase and called it “advisory in nature.”

Carter also said equity is a concern because the allocated funds 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 kindergarten-aged children, this field is far from involved. the universality of the voter question,” Carter said.

Noecker acknowledges that this funding will not cover all eligible families, but said he believes it is a worthwhile investment.

“When children are birth to five years old, all this brain development is happening, all those connections are happening. It will help them learn and be successful for the rest of their lives.”

If the measure passes, the city council said it is on the agenda for Wednesday to discuss accepting the program plan.

Learn more Here.