Jen Stroven, an organizer for Kalamazoo’s Yes For Families campaign, knew what she was up against: ‘Affordability, affordability, affordability.’
Asking voters to raise their own taxes to lower child care costs, expand access, and raise teacher wages may have seemed like a tall order at a time when the increased cost of living is a top issue on voters’ minds. But Stroven was confident the 0.5-mill property tax proposal would pass and she was right. In August, 63% of voters in Kalamazoo County approved the eight-year initiative that will add an average of $50 a month to their property tax bills.
Stroven said that even for those voters who didn’t have young kids, they were able to see the economic benefit for communities and businesses that are losing workers because of lack of affordable childcare. She said they also understood how far-reaching the impact could be from the benefits to families to childcare workers, to the kids themselves.
“It seemed for most folks to be a worthwhile investment,” Stroven said…