The media recognize that without a trusted, independent source of data and analysis, the flow of information about state and local government issues would be controlled by two sources -- the governmental units themselves and interest groups. CRC is that trusted source. Here are the latest articles in which CRC is cited:

May 2013

• Citizens Research Council analyzes school pension puzzle
  Lansing State Journal, May 26, 2013

Summarizes State Budget Note 2013-01

• Report finds inflation, retirement costs eating up increases in education funding
  WMUK, May 24, 2013

A new report by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan finds that increases to K-12 spending in the state hasn't resulted in additional dollars in the classroom. [Radio Interview]

• Report: Retirement Costs Cutting Into Education Spending
  Gongwer News Service, May 22, 2013

Growing contributions to the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System are reducing what school districts can spend on other educational services and that effect is likely to continue for the near term, the Citizens Research Council said in a report released Wednesday.

• Pensions erode Michigan school funding
  WMUK, May 22, 2013

A new report says Michigan's public schools have less to spend educating students because of rising teacher retirement costs. The Citizens Research Council says retirement now eats up nearly 15 percent of the money districts get per-student. That's up from only about nine percent in 2004.

• Three reasons why you should want to know your hometown’s fiscal score
  Bridge Magazine, May 18, 2013

Guest Commentary by Eric Lupher

• Should Detroit City Council full-time pay, car and phone perks be cut in fiscal crisis?
  Detroit Free Press, May 12, 2013

Detroit paid $17.41 per capita for its City Council in 2010, before two years of cuts that shrank the council’s budget to $10.7 million last year. Detroit, by far, has the highest expenses in the state, said Bettie Buss, senior research associate at the independent, nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan. Buss is compiling a report on spending for 24 Michigan cities with populations of 50,000 or more, based on data from the cities’ annual financial reports to the state and 2010 census figures.

April 2013

• Analysis: Detroit raises large sums with high tax rates
  Bridge Magazine, April 17, 2013

With Michigan’s largest city now under the direction of an emergency manager, statewide attention has focused on the city of Detroit’s finances. The Citizens Research Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research firm, has published an analysis of the city’s fiscal structure and trends -- Detroit City Government Revenues. This report attempts to address a number of important questions to help readers be better able to develop and assess proposed policy solutions for Detroit’s fiscal crisis (a study of Detroit’s expenditures will be published by CRC shortly).

• City, county officials urge revamp of Michigan's municipal funding system
  Detroit News, April 8, 2012

Regardless of the options, no one seems to be championing local government reform in the Legislature, said Eric Lupher, director of local affairs at the Citizens Research Council, a nonprofit public affairs research organization in Lansing.

"The Legislature is more worried about the state's problems than the local governments' problems," Lupher said. "It really is going to require somebody to champion it, somebody to take this on. A lot of small voices isn't raising enough awareness. It's going to take a policy leader."

• Deepening revenue crisis leaves city no painelss options
  Detroit Free Press, April 4, 2013

Take the new report from the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council analyzing Detroit's revenue. It's the latest in a series of CRC reports on Detroit's finances; previous reports looked at the city's legacy costs and indebtedness, government expenditures, and municipal government's accounting and operational structure.

• The Detroit City Revenue Story
  WDET, April 3, 2013

To get a better grasp of Detroit's fiscal issues, the Craig Fahle Show looks at a recent report on the city's revenue. Bettie Buss of Citizens Research Council of Michigan describes Detroit's revenue structure, how it has changed over the years, and how it compares to other Michigan cities.

• Detroit Deficits Continue Despite Relatively High Revenues
  Gongwer News Service, April 1, 2013

Detroit takes in more revenue, both total and per capita, than most of its counterparts, but still has managed to overspend those revenues every year since 2003, a report from the Citizens Research Council said.

• Detroit taxes high, but spending is higher -study
  Reuters, April 1, 2013

Detroit residents pay the highest local taxes on a per capita basis compared to other Michigan municipalities, while the city collects the biggest chunk of state shared revenue, according to an analysis released on Monday.

The report by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a public policy group, comes just days after a state-appointed emergency manager stepped in to try and resolve Detroit's fiscal problems. The council found that Detroit's tax rates -- including property, income and other local taxes -- are high versus other Michigan cities.

• All eyes on Stockton as judge OKs bankruptcy
  NBCNews.com, April 1, 2013

"We’re very hopeful that Detroit can avoid bankruptcy," said Bettie Buss, senior research associate at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan. Having a bankruptcy expert handle the city’s books and negotiate with creditors, however, "gives the discussions... more urgency," she said. If creditors know bankruptcy is an option, they could be more motivated to negotiate.

March 2013

• Michigan economy on the comeback trail
  UpperMichigansSource.com, March 22, 2013

At Northern Michigan University Thursday, the President of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, Jeffery Guilfoyle said the state is making a comeback, but there's still a long way to go.

• Handshake deal with state haunts Detroit
  Bridge Magazine, March 15, 2013

Fifteen years ago, Archer made the deal to avert looming cuts in revenue sharing, a mainstay of local governments, according to news accounts from the period and the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan, which has studied the agreement.

• Report: Detroit has 40% of Michigan cities' unfunded liabilities
  Detroit News, March 15, 2013

His report reaches a conclusion similar to one of a 2011 study of county benefits by the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan that found unfunded liabilities are "a government finance issue in need of attention."

• History suggests Detroit bid to avoid state takeover is futile
  WHTC 1450 AM, March 10, 2013

Bettie Buss, a senior research associate at the public-policy group Citizens Research Council of Michigan, agrees it would be an uphill battle.

"Essentially, (the court has) to find it was an abuse of power and that has simply not happened," she said.

• Denial in Detroit is undermining progress
  MLive.com, March 8, 2013

In fact, the city’s short-term cash flow problems and its historical structural imbalances--which the respected Citizens Research Council of Michigan (crcmich.org) and an independent Financial Review team indicated are in the billions--went virtually unaddressed.

• Can Detroit Be Saved?
  NPT, March 2, 2013

Just how far gone is Detroit? Eric Lupher, director of local affairs for the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, sums it up like this: "The city could stop doing all of its current operations today -- no more police and fire, no more garbage collection, no more street lights -- and the city would still have billions of dollars of debt and promises made for future payments that it would have to pay."

February 2013

• Detroit's mayoral hopefuls need to check their math
  Detroit Free Press, February 28, 2013

Skeptics need not rely on the state-appointed review team's report. Independent analysts from Michigan State University to the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council have made similar findings, based on the city's audited financial statements.

• The time is now for school funding debate
  Heritage Newspapers, February 25, 2013

The proposed rewrite of the school aid formula "does raise a number of questions that may require study," said Jeffrey Guilfoyle, president of the non-partisan and highly respected Citizens Research Council. "The foundation allowance represents the average cost of educating a child. If you are going to allow the foundation allowance to be split, it raises all types of pricing questions."

• Tax burden, low property values lead to exodus of Detroit residents
  Detroit News, February 21, 2013

That leaves less money to fund services, said Bettie Buss, a senior researcher at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan and a former budget analyst for Detroit.

"The city for years has tried to figure out how to push the cost of current obligations to the future, but unfortunately, revenues are going down," Buss said. "That made it harder to push off costs."

• Experts foresee financial takeover of Detroit
  Detroit News, February 19, 2013

Scorsone and Bettie Buss of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan said the real issue for Detroit is the billions of dollars it owes in liabilities, pensions and retiree health care.

• Michigan's current fuel taxes place it in the national top 10
  MLive.com, February 7, 2013

Michigan last raised its fuel taxes in 1997, moving it from 15 cents to 19 cents (technically 18.715) for gasoline. In the interim, the buying power of those 19 cents -- for asphalt, steel and the other elements of road construction and repair -- has eroded. The nonpartisan Citizens Research Council noted in a 2011 report that had the 19-cent levy kept pace with inflation, it would now be 27 cents.

• Vote appears likely on Saugatuck-Douglas merger
  9&10 News, February 3, 2013

Saugatuck and Douglas are hiring the Citizens Research Council of Michigan to complete a study by April. The Detroit-area group is an independent organization that studies state and local government.

• Many Detroit residents challenging city's claim they owe income taxes
  Detroit News, February 4, 2013

Some missteps are to be expected as the city works on new ways to collect more revenues, said Bettie Buss, a former budget official for the city of Detroit and senior research associate with the Citizens Research Council of Michigan in Livonia.

"To some extent, what we're seeing is the city is finally actually starting to do something about it and part of it is going to be cleaning up their records and cleaning up their information management system," Buss said. "Everything depends on the accuracy of record-keeping. And record keeping has been one of those areas where Detroit has historically had challenges."

January 2013

• Saugatuck, Douglas look at spending $10,000 for consolidation study
  Holland Sentinel, January 25, 2013

"They’re going to be unbiased," Saugatuck Mayor Bill Hess said about the Livonia-based nonprofit Citizens Research Council of Michigan. "It will give our citizens the information they need to make a decision."

• Focus on teaching our teachers
  Detroit News, January 24, 2013

Highlighting the value of teachers fits well with other recent reports. The Citizens Research Council of Michigan came out with a study a year ago that called for more attention to the training of teachers. And Gov. Rick Snyder has made this a priority as well and has requested teaching programs toughen their core requirements, among other measures.

• Substance abuse expert: Increased marijuana use will lead to more crowded prisons
  MLive.com, January 7, 2013

However, it is not true that a high percentage of Michigan’s inmates are in prison for drug offenses. According to the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, only 9 percent are in prison for drug crimes, while 44 percent are there for violent crimes; 24 percent are there for sex crimes; 23 percent are there for non-violent crimes.

• Political fallout from RTW deal yet to land
  Bridge Magazine, January 8, 2013

According to the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan, opponents would have to file petitions with signatures of registered voters equal to 8 percent of total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election for a statutory initiative. (By contrast, a referendum requires 5 percent.)

• Critics expected to test Michigan's new emergency manager law at ballot box, in court
  Mlive Kalamazoo, January 2, 2013

"Local units will obviously have more choice under the new law," said Bettie Buss, a senior researcher for the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan. "But how the state administers this choice is the thing that remains to be seen."