Duggan's $250 million blight bond proposal under fire at city council meeting Tuesday
DETROIT - Everyone agrees on Detroit's need to remove its blight. But at least one proposal that would guide how to fund and eradicate that blight received a literal "hell no" from some residents Tuesday.
"I'm against the $250 (million) bond," said another resident.
Detroit's city council brought forth a multi-hundred million dollar plan introduced by Mayor Mike Duggan today, with the intention of voting on whether to allow it to be voted on by the public.
Feelings from both residents and representatives were lukewarm, to say the least. Ask Rep. Sherry Gay Dagnogo if she trusts the mayor, and her answer gets matched with emphasis.
"Absolutely not. No, I do not," she said.
City council vote on mayoral blight bond proposal pushed back
A 250 million dollar bond proposal put forth by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was debated by residents and council members in front of the city council on Tuesday. While its plan would be to eradicate blight throughout the city in five years, a blistering report from the Auditor General last week pointed out several problems with the city's demolition program.
Duggan is asking for $250 million that would be dedicated to the demolition of blighted and abandoned homes in the city. The time table for blight removal would be five years under this plan.
However, following a blistering Auditor General report that identified six problematic areas with the current blight program, residents weren't as comfortable with the mayor's plan. He did have at least one supporter in the council chamber, however.
"There are others that do (support the proposal). It's about getting people out who agree with you," said Malik Shabazz.
At the end of the day, the city voted to not vote, instead tabling the proposal decision until a later date. In response to Tuesday's fireworks, the city's planning director released a statement saying:
"The federally funded demolition program has only let us reach half of the city's neighborhoods. That money runs out early next year. If we aren't going to leave the rest of our neighborhoods behind, we need this bond funding. With it, we can eradicate residential blight in five years. Without it, it will take another 13 years," said Detroit Planning Director Arthur Jemison.
If the council doesn't vote by December, then there won't be a public vote in March - an option graced by Gay-Dagnogo.
"We've allowed too much latitude and I think it's time now for the city council members to do their jobs," she said.