Here’s something to think about on Tax Day.

On Tuesday, the Oakland City Council will vote on a motion to not collect taxes on Measure AA.

That’s the measure, promoted as the catalyst to overcoming the racial inequities in Oakland’s schools, that got 62% of voter approval five months ago. The measure didn’t reach the required two-thirds majority vote that City Attorney Barbara Parker had declared it needed to pass.

Regardless, the council certified the measure in a 6-1 vote in December to declare that it would be implemented without the two-thirds majority — and to allow the city to begin collecting the tax.

Now, the council has decided to hold back. It gave first approval of the motion on April 2 and is expected to give second and final approval Tuesday.

The measure calls for an annual parcel tax of $198 a year on single-family homes and $135 a year per unit of each multiunit residence for the next 30 years. It would generate $30 million in annual revenue.

The extra money would fund early child care and preschool programs, and college readiness programs, tuition assistance and efforts to fix racial inequities in access to higher education.

But the tax is in limbo because a coalition of property owners sued the city over the certification in February. The property owners believe the certification is an abuse of election law.

Still, by certifying the measure, Oakland can begin to collect tens of millions of dollars even if it won’t spend a dime until after a legal ruling.

“The measure’s passed, so if the measure passes you should collect the tax,” Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Alameda, told me outside City Hall on Friday morning before a Measure AA rally. “I think we need to position ourselves so that we can go either way and follow the law that the court decides.”

Bonta said the city should hold the money in escrow so it can already be in the bank if the certification is upheld — or easily refunded if a court rejects the certification. If not, he said the city would be foregoing revenue that could transform lives.

Allie Whitehurst of the Oakland NAACP said the city can’t afford to pass on the money.

“The need is now,” she said. “There is enough research out there that shows what early childhood eduction does in terms of leveling the playing field for our children. It’s a matter of emergency.”

Look, I voted for the measure, and my support of the intent remains steadfast. But by moving forward with the tax collection on a measure that is stuck, the city runs the risk of repulsing voters. When the council certified the measure, it felt like the rules were changed after the game had been decided. Yes, the council can collect taxes, but it shouldn’t have certified the measure in the first place. Measure AA should be reworked — and, maybe, reworded — before being placed again before voters next year.

There’s time to start over and get this done the right way — through voting and not a court decision.

Greg McConnell, the CEO of Jobs and Housing Coalition, the coalition of homeowners and landlords that sued the city, said the council should wait until the lawsuit is resolved to collect.

“They will be collecting, if they win, $30 million per year year for the next 30 years,” McConnell said. “Waiting a year is not going to break anything.”

McConnell is losing patience with the city, which he said has requested two extensions to file its response to the coalition’s lawsuit. McConnell isn’t sure when the city will get around to it. Parker couldn’t be reached for comment.

Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan acknowledged getting pressured by Measure AA supporters to vote for collecting the tax money.

“There’s an active lawsuit. It’s not a question of what we feel like doing,” said Kaplan, who added the litigation is expected to take three years. “If we lose, then we will have skipped the 2020 election as an opportunity to fix it with a better measure.”

Loren Taylor, the District Six representative on the council, told me he is leaning toward voting not to collect the tax.

“My charge is to be a steward of their resources,” he said. “So because of that, I err on being less aggressive versus more aggressive with the dollars in my constituents’ pockets.”

Happy Tax Day.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays and Thursdays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr