DETROIT (WXYZ) — Hundreds of Detroit residents spoke out at a public hearing on a $250 million blight bond proposal to help finish tearing down 18,000 vacant homes.
The proposed bond would help eliminate vacant homes over the next five years.
Detroit City Council held the meeting at 5 p.m. Monday at the Coleman A. Young Municipal building. The meeting was at capacity less than 30 minutes after it started.
Council President Brenda Jones said her office received telemarketer calls to vote "yes" on the bond proposal.
City council has been putting off a vote on the proposed bond. According to a report from the Detroit auditor general, the program to demolish vacant homes in Detroit has been mismanaged for years. Both state and federal investigations have been underway since both have invested millions into helping the project.
Since Mayor Mike Duggan took office in January 2014, the city has spent nearly $500 million on demolishing vacant homes. Duggan says without this money, the program would come to a standstill.
Some concerned citizens are urging the council to say no to the bond, arguing that it would not resolve the issue of blight.
After Monday's meeting, the Detroit City Council is expected to put the bond on the ballot Tuesday morning.
