The St. Paul City Council has moved forward with a proposal asking voters to raise property taxes to pay for child care for low-income families, overriding Mayor Melvin Carter’s veto on the issue.
However, Carter is calling the proposed 2024 ballot question full of empty promises. He says he’s instead focused on other pressing matters for the city.
“Whether this passes or not, we’re going to go to work getting our budget passed. We’re going to go to work relieving medical debt for our residents,” Carter said. “We’re going to stay at work raising money for college savings accounts.”
Supporters say they want the city to fully cover the costs of care for newborns to 5-year-olds in families below the federal poverty line.
Still, Carter says he has not closed himself off to the possibility of addressing the concerns, but he says it needs to be done properly.
“If someone brings us a proposal that actually resolves some of these concerns, we’re willing to address those,” Carter said.
