KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – One of the items that will find at the end of the ballot is a new proposal to fund early education and childcare in Kalamazoo County.
Like the Senior Millage and the Housing Millage, this special fund would create a dedicated pool of funds, in this case to make daycare more accessible for young families.
Millage advocate Jen Stroven says Kalamazoo County is a childcare desert, and its created dire problems for young families, local employers and disadvantaged many children.
“Parents are often placed on a wait list, as long as 18 months impacting their ability to remain employed and build financial stability for their families,” says Stroven, and she adds only one in four families can find affordable childcare.
“The millage proposes to expand access to care, particularly the zero to three age range, to lower the cost of child care for working families, and provide stability for providers in those businesses.”
Republican county commissioner John Gisler voted against putting it on the ballot.
He isn’t against the proposal, just the funding mechanism.
“There’s no reason we need another mileage, we need childcare, definitely but we need to find that money somewhere in a $325 million budget,” says Gisler, adding “If we can’t then we all ought to be thrown out.”
The ballot requests approval of half a mil for 8 years.
It would cost the typical homeowner between $50 and $100 per year, depending on the value of their home.
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