LANSING — While lawmakers in Lansing are debating the best way to provide tax relief with the state’s nearly $1-billion budget surplus, voters in Michigan have much different thoughts on how to spend the extra cash.

According to a poll of 600 Michigan residents, 38% said they think the money should go to K-12 education, another 36% say roads need an infusion of cash, while only 11% say an income tax cut is the answer. The remaining 15% chose contributions to the rainy day fund, local communities or universities, or where undecided as to their preferred recipient of excess budget dollars. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

“You have to think, ‘Who are are they responding to?’ ” Bernie Porn, director of Lansing-based EPIC-MRA, said of legislators. EPIC-MRA conducted the poll Feb. 5 through Tuesday. “If Republican legislators decide not to do a tax cut, or just a minimal one, and they used the surplus to deal with schools and roads, they’re not going to make anybody unhappy.”

Paul Schreibman, a retired dentist from West Bloomfield, said he has had to spend about $1,400 in the last couple of years on realignments and to replace two or three tires on his car blown out by potholes.

“I don’t know how any politician can you look you in the eye and say this isn’t a problem. One pothole, and you’ve lost your whole tax refund,” said Schriebman, who got a refund from the State of Indiana for a pothole-flattened tire, but no satisfaction from Michigan. “It’s deplorable and disgraceful and inexcusable. Our roads are especially terrible. I can’t see how they can think about doing anything else.”

Michael Fetzer, 59, of Clarkston agreed. The income tax rollback is a joke, he said.

The dollar amounts, as well as just who would get any kind of tax relief, would be based on what kind of cut would be implemented. But the money likely wouldn’t be much in the end.

“It’s an insult to all Michiganders. The amount of the rollbacks amount to a few McDonald’s Happy Meals per person,” said Fetzer, who moved to Michigan from Texas two years ago, partly to reconnect with family and partly because the state at the time had no tax on pensions.

“The tax on pensions was applied retroactively to people who already retired and who couldn’t make up the income they were going to lose,” he said. “It just seemed unethical and immoral to impose such a large tax. I’m a lifelong Republican, but that tax caused me to change my views about the party.”

State Rep. Kurt Heise, R-Plymouth, conducted an unscientific poll on his Facebook page of how surplus dollars should be spent. The majority of the more than 60 responses came from people who wanted roads fixed.

“I’m hearing that in my travels more than anything else,” Heise said. “As we talk about the surplus, people are more interested in fixing the roads than a tax break. Given the winter we’ve had and the condition of the roads, people want that problem fixed first. Clearly, this winter has really hammered it home, literally, for millions of people in Michigan.

“And it absolutely will certainly have an impact on the final budget allocations on tax relief, roads, education and the rainy day fund.”

Porn noted that every poll the firm has done has shown an overwhelming desire by people to fix the roads. They may not want to pay extra in taxes for it, but using the surplus seems to be a no-brainer.

“They’re much more amenable to using the surplus for roads,” he said, adding the support comes from all demographics, including Republicans, Democrats, tea party members and independents. “When they’re talking about tax breaks, legislators may be reading the tea leaves wrong.”

But that hasn’t stopped the battle brewing in the state Capitol over tax relief and what form it might take.

Republicans in the Senate are considering a straight rollback of the state income tax from 4.25% to 3.9% by 2017, and a restoration of the homestead property tax credit that was taken away with the tax reform of 2011. Republicans in the House are taking a less drastic approach, cutting the rate to 4.05% and including a trigger that kicks in and stops or accelerates the decrease depending on the economy.

Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed tax relief — in the form of a homestead property tax rebate — is more targeted at lower- and moderate-income Michiganders.

And Democrats — who are loathe to agree with Snyder in an election year — are more attracted to the governor’s approach, but also want to invest more of the state’s estimated $971-million surplus into such things as roads and public education.

“The tax break that I would get does not compensate for cuts to local communities and 4,000 fewer police and firefighters on the streets, and it doesn’t fix the roads,” said state Rep. Vicki Barnett, D-Farmington Hills.

Republicans say a cut in the income tax is the most efficient, simple and fair way to give tax relief to the state’s taxpayers.

“Now that Michigan has experienced a surplus, I believe it’s time to enact legislation for tax relief for all Michigan taxpayers,” said state Rep. Jeff Farrington, R-Utica. “An across-the-board cut is the best solution for the majority of taxpayers in Michigan.”

But even among Republicans, there is a difference of opinion on how the surplus should be used. Farrington also acknowledged that much more money is needed for roads this year and that might affect the debate on tax relief.

“Fixing the roads is a higher priority than tax relief. That’s just my opinion,” said Farrington, who sponsored the bill that includes a trigger for when income tax relief would happen.

Sen. Dave Hildenbrand, R-Lowell, said he thinks his proposed approach of restoring the homestead property tax credit beyond even what Snyder has offered is the best answer. Snyder’s proposal would give the tax credits to homeowners and renters who make $60,000 or less and would cost the state about $100 million in revenues. Hildenbrand’s proposal would push the income ceiling up to $83,186 and would cost the state roughly $270 million in tax revenues.

“We’re not going to be able to give tax relief to everybody, so if we’re going to do targeted tax relief, that’s the group I want to focus on: the men and women and families who don’t have a lot of extra money but have a lot of bills,” he said.

The status of the tax bills: The Senate Finance Committee has passed a bill lowering the income tax rate to 3.9%. The cut would result in a loss of $143.6 million in the first year of the phaseout, according to an analysis of the bill, and up to $873.5 million by 2017. The committee also passed a bill Wednesday that would restore the homestead property tax credit to 2011 levels.

The House Tax Policy Committee heard testimony Wednesday and is expected to vote on its form of tax relief next week. That House cut would cost the state $222 million in fiscal year 2014-15, which begins Oct. 1, $405.7 million in 2015-16, and $419.3 million in 2016-17.

The governor’s proposal will be weighed as part of the ongoing debate over the 2014-15 budget.

“My proposal isn’t perfect, but I’m just trying to find the closest to where we’re all going to agree on a number,” Hildenbrand said.