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The tension between Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson over the economic impacts of Preschool for All, which reached a boiling point in June, now merely simmers.
In a June letter, Kotek amped up pressure on Vega Pederson to reduce the marginal income tax on high earners, which funds the county’s initiative to create 11,000 publicly funded preschool slots. (A bill that would have smothered the program entirely died in the Legislature.)
Vega Pederson took some of that pressure to heart. Under her direction, the Board of County Commissioners took on Preschool for All’s finances this summer, convening for a series of conversations about indexing the tax, among other financial proposals.
But little resulted. A technical advisory group meant to advise on indexing offered no consensus, and mounting public pressure led most county commissioners to conclude they weren’t ready to index the tax, especially without understanding the implications for the program.
It appears Kotek’s positioning on Preschool for All has softened since. She doesn’t seem as eager to kill the program: “Multnomah County’s Preschool For All program represents hope, possibility, and opportunity for so many,” she tells WW. But Kotek stands by her position that the program is not working as well as it should, and that things need to change.
Notably, however, it does not appear Vega Pederson is updating Kotek on any progress thus far.
“County leaders have the responsibility to ensure the program is sustainable, achieves its original goals, and works to mitigate any unintended consequences,” Kotek says. “The chair and I have not discussed the progress of the TAG.”
A spokesman for Vega Pederson says she plans to coordinate routine updates with Kotek on “all things Multnomah County, including Preschool for All.”
“I appreciate the shared desire to ensure Preschool for All is a sustainable program that achieves the goals voters approved and is responsive to both continually improving the program and responding to its impacts on our community,” Vega Pederson tells WW.
