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The final vote reported by the Michigan Secretary of State's
office was 80 percent opposed, and 20 percent in favor. Polls
taken ahead of the vote had indicated the measure was headed for
defeat.
The complex $1.9 billion measure included proposals to amend the
state constitution to increase the state sales tax to 7 percent
from six percent, raise motor vehicle fuel taxes and peg them to
inflation, send more money to schools and enhance an earned
income tax credit that benefits lower income residents.
Michigan's Republican Gov. Rick Snyder campaigned for the plan,
saying it would raise an additional $1.3 billion to fix the
state's highways and bridges, many of them in poor condition
after years of harsh weather, heavy truck traffic and funding
cuts. The plague of potholes in the state that's home to auto
giants General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co has become a searing
political headache for Michigan elected officials.
Opponents of the proposal criticized the ballot measure as an
unnecessary tax increase for residents still recovering from the
last recession. The measure's complexity became a target for its
opponents, who said more than 30 percent of the money from the
so-called road package would go to other purposes than roads.
(Reporting By Joe White; Editing by Christian Plumb)
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