Detroit Mayor Says 'Yes' To Proposal N, Community Advocates Say 'No'

(CBS DETROIT) - Proposal N is about Detroit neighborhoods and cleaning up the eyesore driving property values down in the city. But some community advocates are calling on Detroiters to vote no on the $250 million bond proposal while telling city officials to go back to the drawing board on a new demolition plan.

There are 22,000 abandoned homes in the city of Detroit.

Under the Neighborhood Improvement Plan—also known as Proposal N —Mayor Mike Duggan says 8,000 homes can be saved and another 8,000 will be torn down – with no tax increase.

But opponents are making bold claims and calling Proposal N a sham.

"One of the reasons that this opposition was formed is because of the overappraisal, a minimum of $600 million in over-appraisal of Detroit properties that resulted in thousands of properties being foreclosed upon," said Political Analyst and 910 AM Radio Host Sam Riddle.

Back in July Mayor Duggan presented Proposal N's goals to create jobs for Detroit contractors and prioritize restoring structurally sound homes and tackle blight.

"Every year we a thousand of those good houses. We lose them to vandals. We lose them to arson. We lose them to the weather," said Duggan.

" Detroiters cannot trust mayor Duggan's administration again in terms of what is viewed by some as a property tax scam to get another $250 million," said Riddle.

If Proposal N passes Nov. 3, City Council will have oversight of the program, not the Detroit Landbank Authority.