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Parents, advocates urge Multnomah County commissioners to reject indexing proposal for Preschool for All tax
Summary
Multiple parents, preschool advocates and students told the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners during public comment that indexing the Preschool for All income tax to inflation would reduce revenue, slow rollout and break promises of universality; speakers urged the board to preserve funding and accelerate program rollout.
Several parents, early‑childhood educators and supporters used the board's public comment period to urge Multnomah County commissioners Aug. 1 to reject any proposal to index the Preschool for All (PFA) tax to inflation, saying indexing would reduce revenues and imperil the program's goal of universal preschool for three‑ and four‑year‑olds.
Leslie McCollum Fontaine, a former Portland preschool teacher and advocate with Friends of Preschool for All Coalition, told commissioners that an audit found only "minor issues" with the program and that indexing represented a distraction from strengthening supports for teachers and providers who serve children with higher needs. "If you bow to this pressure, it will set a bad precedent and give the impression that we don't stand behind our own programs," she said.
Emily Clark Cuellar, a parent whose older child will attend a PFA program, said indexing "could so seriously diminish revenues that the program would become bankrupt right after reaching universality." She added that publicly funded preschool allowed her to plan an earlier return to paid work and could expand the local workforce.
Sabatino Stocky (as recorded in the meeting transcript), a District 1 resident and PFA supporter, said recent reports show seat capacity growing and argued that indexing would prevent the program from building reserves and completing universal coverage. He cited a report saying seats grew 60% this year and are projected to grow 71% next year; he said more than 40% of Multnomah County's 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds will have access to a publicly funded preschool seat this year.
In person, Brianne Dedecker said she spent $51,000 a year on preschool and child care before accessing the county program and said indexing would lead to reductions in wages for early educators, cuts to hours or eligibility changes that would break the program promise. Speakers connected PFA to workforce and economic development benefits and asked commissioners to prioritize rolling the program out to all qualifying children rather than reducing revenue through indexing.
Commissioners did not take a vote on PFA indexing during the meeting; the comments were delivered during the public comment period and will inform any future discussions or proposals before the board.
