Childcare \ Early Learning Millage - Ballot Proposal
August 4, 2026 · Kalamazoo County, Michigan · County
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 28 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 262,375 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(1,772,259 ÷ 262,375) ÷ ln(1,772,259 ÷ 2,133) = 28.42, comparing counties in MI (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Ballot measure: +1 step
Your vote sets the policy directly, so the rating gets a one-step boost.
Low representation + a ballot-measure boost → Average vote impact.
Ballot Measure
Cost of Living Reduction (for), Public Education Quality (for), Social Programs and Welfare (for)
This measure would create an eight-year county property tax to fund childcare and early-learning services. Kalamazoo County could levy up to 0.5 mill—$0.50 per $1,000 of taxable value—from 2027 through 2034 on taxable property countywide. The ballot gives a $50 annual example for a home with a $200,000 market value and $100,000 taxable value, and estimates $6,393,624 in first-year revenue. Money would fund services and programs for county residents, focusing on children ages 0–5 and caregivers, including childcare, with the County Department of Health and Community Services administering related grants and programs.
A YES vote means
A YES vote authorizes Kalamazoo County to levy up to 0.5 mill on taxable property from 2027 through 2034. At the full rate, a property with $100,000 in taxable value would pay about $50 per year, and the county estimates collecting $6,393,624 in the first year for childcare, early-learning, and related grant programs focused on young children and caregivers.
A NO vote means
A NO vote does not authorize the new 0.5-mill county property tax. Property owners would not pay this levy, and Kalamazoo County would not receive the proposal’s dedicated revenue for the specified childcare, early-learning, and related grant programs.
Read the official measure text
Source: wmuk.org
Source: wkzo.com
Election sources
Source: kalcounty.gov
Source: kalcounty.gov