The records of CRTR consist of one foot of materials from the campaign office dating from 1989. The materials consist of reports, surveys, minutes, and correspondence. Most of the reports and surveys were not produced by CRTR but by other organizations that were concerned about school taxes. These records were kept by CRTR mostly as reference materials to assist them in their campaign. The correspondence and committee records were produced by CRTR but are very few in number.
This record group also contains some audio and visual materials. The cassette tape found in the folder labeled program tape is part of a slide presentation made by CRTR. The visual material is a video cassette of a commercial opposing the passage of Proposal B and is narrated by L. Brooks Patterson.
The Committee for Responsible Tax Reform (CRTR) was formed in 1989 to promote Proposal B on the November ballot. The campaign was directed by John D. Marrs of Williamston, Michigan. Its offices were located at the headquarters of the Michigan Association of School Administrators in Lansing, Michigan.
In the November election voters were faced with two proposals that would reform public school financing. Both proposals would have increased the states sales tax: Proposal A up 1/2 cent and Proposal B up 2 cents. Both proposals were defeated.
According to the Committee on Responsible Tax Reform Proposal B would have reduced school taxes on residential and farm property statewide by an average of 38% and taxes on business property by 23%. It would have also provided at least three hundred forty dollars in new revenue per pupil to 85% of the states K-12 school districts. This proposal was supported strongly by Representatives Glenn Oxlander (Republican-Sturgis), Micheal E. Nye (Republican-Litchfield), William R. Keith (Democrat-Garden City), and James A. Kasteva (Democrat-Canton).
