Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM), the state’s business roundtable, today announced that a recent survey showed that a majority of Michigan voters believe the Governor and Legislature are moving the state in the right direction. Further, most Michigan voters believe it is necessary to eliminate the outmoded personal property tax on business, in order to keep growing jobs here.
“The voting public clearly understands that Governor Snyder and our legislative leaders in Lansing are making the tough decisions necessary to turn Michigan around,” said Doug Rothwell, President and CEO, Business Leaders for Michigan. “Michigan residents understand that to create jobs quickly we must make our state competitive again like we outlined in our Michigan Turnaround Plan. The next step towards that goal is the repeal of the personal property tax on business.”
The telephone survey of 600 residents likely to vote this November was conducted August 3-6, with a margin of error of +/-4.0 percent, by the Glengariff Group, Inc. and asked:
Recently the state legislature and Governor adopted legislation that made major reforms in Michigan’s tax system and made changes in how the state spends its money. Do you think these changes were needed or not needed?
1. Very needed
2. Somewhat needed
3. Somewhat unneeded
4. Not Needed
5. Don’t Know/ Refused
By a margin of 61 percent to 23 percent, voters believe the tax and budget reforms made by the Governor and Legislature were necessary. Thirty-five percent of all voters believe they were VERY necessary.
To gauge interest in a key component of the Michigan Turnaround Plan, another survey of 600 voters was conducted July 27-30 (with a margin of error of +/-4.0 percent) and asked this question:
Michigan has a tax on the personal property of businesses – such as computers and furniture – that most other states do not have. These personal property taxes are collected by both the state and local governments. Opponents of the tax say it is an unfair tax that businesses in other states don’t have to pay that costs Michigan jobs. Supporters of the tax say Michigan’s cannot afford to lose any revenue right now. I am going to read you several options for dealing with the business personal property tax, please tell me which one option you most support.
- Phase in the elimination of the tax over a number of years and do not replace the revenues to local communities even if it means reduced services.
- Phase in the elimination of the tax over a number of years and have the state provide new funding to replace those revenues to local communities.
- Reduce, but do not eliminate the tax, even if it means Michigan businesses have to pay a tax here that they do not have to pay in other states.
- Leave the tax alone even if Michigan businesses have to pay a tax that they do not have to pay in other states.
- Don’t Know/ Refused….DO NOT OFFER
The survey revealed that 51.1 percent of voters support the elimination of the Michigan personal property tax on businesses, 15.8 percent of voters support a reduction of the tax and 26.5 percent of voters oppose any reduction in the personal property tax on businesses.
Of those voters supporting the elimination of the personal property tax, 21.3 percent support the elimination with no replacement tax and 29.8 percent support the elimination as long as the state provides new funding to replace those revenues to local communities.
“The public gets it,” Rothwell said. “They know what it takes to make Michigan strong again, and that’s business investment. For too long, our tax and regulatory structure has kept us from competing effectively in our own region, let alone globally. We need to act, and act fast, to make Michigan a top ten state once more.”
About Business Leaders for Michigan:
Business Leaders for Michigan (www.
