Multnomah County’s highest earners will foot the bill for a universal preschool system that prioritizes access for Black, Indigenous and other communities of color, as voters supported the measure.

The county-backed Preschool For All initiative won majority support in partial returns, with 64.2% of voters backing it as of 9:50 p.m.

The preschool measure is a 1.5% tax on incomes of more than $125,000 per year and joint filings topping $250,000.

In 2026, the tax will scale up to 2.3% on incomes over $125,000 and joint filings above $250,000. The higher brackets of $250,000 for single filers and $400,000 for joint filers will incur an additional 1.5%.

The measure, which county Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson spent the past two years gathering support for, is a compromise between her Preschool For All campaign and a citizen initiative that would have set a 3.9% tax on incomes of more than $165,000.

The county will work preschool providers to increase capacity.

The measure’s backers expect the preschool tax will lead to “universality” by 2026.