Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud gets 25% salary increase over 2 years

• The Dearborn Metropolis Council permitted pay will increase for itself and the mayor, as really helpful by a metropolis fee.
• Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud can have a base wage of $212,083 in 2026.

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud will get a 25% pay enhance over two years after the Metropolis Council unanimously permitted a metropolis fee’s suggestions Tuesday, Dec. 10, to extend his annual base wage above $200,000, doubtlessly making him the second-highest paid mayor within the area.

Hammoud was set to obtain a base wage of $168,775 for 2025, however will now obtain a 22% elevate to $205,906 this 12 months, retroactive to all of 2025. In 2026, Hammoud will obtain one other 3% elevate, making $212,083 for his base wage. The full pay enhance for the mayor of Dearborn, who leads a metropolis of 107,410 residents, over the 2 years is 25.7%.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s 2025 wage was $224,573, metropolis spokesman John Roach stated.

The Metropolis of Dearborn’s Native Officers Compensation Fee (LOCC), which meets each two years, submitted its report with suggestions for the pay will increase to the Metropolis Clerk on November 13. Underneath the state’s Dwelling Rule Metropolis Act, for cities with greater than 20,000 residents, the LOCC ought to have seven members; The Metropolis of Dearborn’s web site lists eight members for its LOCC.

Some residents have expressed considerations in regards to the wage will increase, as well being care has been lower in recent times for retired city employees and that the town has a $1.5 million price range deficit. Some members of Dearborn’s LOCC, together with Chairman Karl Fava, have donated cash to Hammoud’s marketing campaign, heightening some residents’ considerations in regards to the course of for figuring out his wage. Residents filed comparable complaints in 1999 when the LOCC gave Mayor Michael Guido a 37% pay enhance. Hammoud’s wage grew to become a difficulty through the mayoral race when his opponent famous that his wage is larger than Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s; the LOCC didn’t submit their report recommending the will increase till after the November election.

The LOCC defended the substantial will increase, saying in its report that present salaries for the mayor and different officers “are usually not aggressive with comparable cities and require an adjustment.” The fee didn’t say which different cities it was referring to or why elected officers in Dearborn would compete to turn out to be officers in different cities.

In an announcement to the Free Press, Dearborn metropolis spokesman Hassan Abbas stated Hammoud had nothing to do together with his elevate.

“Mayor Hammoud has not requested or advocated for a rise in his annual compensation bundle,” Abbas stated. “The Native Officers Compensation Fee (LOCC) meets each two years underneath state legislation to assessment compensation packages for elected officers. The Fee then makes suggestions for all elected officers and the Metropolis Council votes on the matter. The Compensation Fee has really helpful that the present mayor’s compensation be elevated to a degree in line with the earlier mayor’s wage and to a degree similar to that of metropolis officers (mayors and metropolis managers) in comparable communities.”

Metropolis council members can even obtain vital pay will increase. The annual base wage for Dearborn Metropolis Council President Michael Sareini will enhance by 18% to $23,152 for 2025, additionally retroactively for the whole 12 months, after which by an extra 3% for 2026 to $23,846. Different members of the seven-member council can even obtain an 18% enhance for all of 2025 to $19,273 and an extra 3% enhance for 2026 to $19,851. All council members can even obtain $100 per assembly, with a most of 85 conferences, up from the present most of 80, which might be a most of $8,500 per 12 months. The well being advantages for elected officers stay the identical.

Councilwoman and Metropolis Council President Professional Tem Leslie Herrick defended their vote to approve the pay will increase for themselves and the mayor, saying throughout Tuesday’s assembly that the council “has an excellent justification for what we’re voting on tonight.” Herrick stated elected officers in Dearborn have been underpaid in comparison with different cities.

“This can be a labor of affection for us,” Herrick stated. “Once we run for workplace, most of us accomplish that as a result of we consider we will make a distinction in our metropolis or…we will take heed to others and assist them of their lives in Dearborn.”

“Thanks to the members of the Native Officers Compensation Committee for his or her diligence in setting these new salaries for our elected officers,” Herrick stated. “They did quite a few interviews … and what they discovered was that the Metropolis of Dearborn’s chosen official compensation was properly beneath the state common and in lots of instances even the nationwide common.”

Sareini, the council chairman, agreed with Herrick.

“Because the council member acknowledged relating to the LOCC, it’s not in regards to the cash,” Sareini stated on the council assembly after the council permitted pay will increase for him and others. “I assure that is our manner of giving again, and everybody wants to provide again just a little bit so we will preserve our group operating the correct manner.”

Along with Fava, LOCC members listed on the town web site are Hassan Bazzi, Nadia Berry, Patrick J. D’Ambrosio (who can be a Dearborn board member), Sandra Okay. Daniels, Kalid (Mike) Kaid, David Norwood and Maha Zriek Sabbagh. A majority have been appointed by Hammoud and the others by O’Reilly. The Free Press was unable to succeed in Fava, an accountant, and Ambrosio didn’t return an e-mail looking for remark.

Fava donated $1,500 to Hammoud’s marketing campaign committee and likewise donated to former Mayor John O’Reilly Jr., who appointed him in 2020, Wayne County marketing campaign finance information present. Fava served as chairman of the LOCC in recent times, metropolis information present. In 2023, with council approval, the LOCC elevated the salaries of the mayor and all metropolis council members by 2.6% for 2023 and a couple of.6% for 2024. In 2015, the LOCC elevated the mayor’s wage 5% to $137,690 and one other 5% to $144,575 for 2016, based on a metropolis report and the Information-Herald.

Mayor Hammoud after protests: ‘Dearborn belongs to everybody’

The report appeared the Dearborn Metropolis Council agenda forward of the Dec. 9 council assembly. The agenda included a number of gadgets to be voted on, together with the LOCC suggestions.

The LOCC met for the primary time in October to debate salaries for civil servants in 2025 and 2026, the report stated. They met with Dearborn’s enterprise advisor, Jeremy Romer, and different division heads. Bazzi was appointed chairman of the subcommittee that units the salaries of the mayor and clerk. On October 28, he met with Hammoud to acquire details about salaries, the LOCC report stated. Norwood was appointed chairman of the subcommittee on council member salaries throughout a gathering with Sareini, Herrick and Councilman Robert Abraham on Oct. 23.

Salaries for another mayors and township supervisors of main metro Detroit suburbs are: Canton Township Supervisor Anne Marie Graham-Hudak, $150,000; Warren Mayor Lori Stone, $125,642 for 2025 and likewise 2026; Mayor of Livonia Maureen Miller Brosnan, $144,954 for 2025. It is unclear if Livonia will enhance Brosnan’s pay this 12 months. Livonia’s LOCC was scheduled to satisfy this 12 months, metropolis information present. Hammoud’s wage will probably be slightly below Wayne County Govt Warren Evans, who made $230,000 in 2025, based on a doc from county spokesperson Doda Lulgjuraj. The inhabitants of Wayne County is roughly 1.75 million folks.

Hometown Life and Employees Author Christina Corridor contributed to this report.

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com, X @nwarikoo or Facebook @nwarikoo