Wayne County voters to elect city mayors, council members

• Wayne County voters in a number of cities elect mayors, council members and clerks and resolve on poll proposals.
• In Dearborn, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud is being challenged by engineer Nagi Almudhegi.

Voters in a number of Wayne County communities will go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 4, to resolve who can be their mayor and council members and whether or not they’ll approve numerous poll proposals. In some municipalities, there can be no contested races for mayoral and different positions because of an absence of candidates, which has precipitated some concern about declining curiosity in public workplace. Westland, Northville, Romulus, Rockwood, Southgate, Harper Woods, Gibraltar and Grosse Pointe Park shouldn’t have contested mayoral races as a result of there is just one candidate on the poll.

Here is a have a look at a few of the nonpartisan races in Wayne County, exterior of Detroit.

Battle for mayor in Dearborn

In Dearborn, the second-largest municipality in Wayne County after Detroit, engineer Nabi Almudhegi is difficult Mayor Abdullah Hammoud for a four-year time period to guide town. Hammoud, elected in 2021, touts his file of lowering crime, combating reckless driving and tackling polluters, whereas his rival says town, which has misplaced residents since 2020, is declining underneath Hammoud and accuses him of changing into more and more divisive, pointing to his current berating of a Christian pastor throughout a metropolis council assembly.

Along with the mayoral race, there are 13 council candidates in Dearborn operating for seven council seats. Of the 13 candidates looking for a four-year time period, six are sitting council members, together with Council President Michael Sareini. The Yemeni American group is making an attempt to win a seat on the council for the primary time in historical past, with a number of candidates of Yemeni descent on the poll. Within the race for clerk, Sami Elhady is difficult Clerk George Darany, whom he lately criticized for unintentionally sending ballots to a candidate who was not operating. Darany stated the error was instantly corrected and town later despatched out the proper ballots, asking voters to make use of the final poll they obtained.

Voters in Dearborn may also resolve on a district proposal to increase the Metropolis Council to 9 members: two at-large and 7 who would signify geographic areas. If voters approve the plan, it’s going to go earlier than a Wayne County choose, who will decide its legality after some raised objections to it. Hammoud has not spoken in favor of the division’s proposal. Gary Woronchak, a former state consultant and former Wayne County commissioner, opposes the district’s proposal, saying it’s going to divide town. He notes that some who reside exterior Dearborn are funding a lot of the marketing campaign for the proposal. Supporters say it’s going to enhance democracy and variety in Dearborn authorities.

Extra: Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud faces problem from engineer Nagi Almudhegi as race heats up

Extra: Dearborn Mayor Hammoud raises $446,000 in re-election bid, a number of instances as a lot as his opponent

Grosse Pointe voters resolve the mayor and council

Grosse Pointe Mayor Sheila Tomkowiak is operating for one more two-year time period to guide one of many wealthiest cities in metro Detroit, however one which has suffered from flooding in recent times.

Tomkowiak, a former journalist on the Free Press and the journal’s artwork director, has been mayor for six years. In 2019, she defeated Christopher Boettcher, a former mayor, 51% to 48% and has been re-elected each two years. Boettcher, who didn’t return a message from the Free Press looking for remark, is now difficult her on this mayoral election.

Tomkowiak praised her work in addressing flooding points, which have affected a number of communities in Wayne County, saying that “large flooding has hit us very arduous.”

She stated she is working to “harden our infrastructure” and has utilized for one $21.6 million grant from FEMA to enhance stormwater administration for a mission that may separate town’s mixed sanitary and stormwater methods.

Tomkowiak stated all six members of the Grosse Pointe Metropolis Council have endorsed her. She additionally works throughout metropolis strains with different communities, “to be higher neighbors with Detroit” and different municipalities. She is co-chair together with Detroit Councilman Coleman Younger II for the SEMCOG Wholesome Local weather Process Power in Southeast Michigan.

Tomkowiak stated the downtown space, often called the Village, is enhancing, with thousands and thousands of {dollars} in new funding and 25 new companies since 2020. She additionally stated town is experiencing a child growth in recent times as youthful {couples} transfer again after leaving, out of concern concerning the Grosse Pointe communities’ general inhabitants decline in current a long time.

In close by Grosse Pointe Farms, Councilman Joe Ricci and Councilman John Gillooly are vying to change into mayor.

Talking to the Free Press, Ricci touted his expertise in metropolis authorities and group involvement. He has been on the council for 13 years, together with two years as Mayor Professional Tem.

“I’ve lived within the metropolis for 45 years,” Ricci stated. “I’ve six grandchildren within the system, two in personal faculty, two in Catholic faculty and two in public faculty. … So I’ve a robust dedication to the longer term.”

Like Grosse Pointe, his metropolis has had flooding points that he stated he has been engaged on, together with a watershed mission that may separate the sewer system from the principle water system.

“We have had two floods within the final 10 years that have been very, very important,” Ricci stated of the $40 million mission. “This can most likely eradicate 90% to 95% of the recurrence.”

He has additionally labored on a multi-million greenback mission to… Pier Park water complex, including swimming pools. He now hopes to work on plans for brand new buildings for town corridor and police, saying that “now we have actually outgrown and outlived the present amenities.”

Gillooly didn’t return a message looking for remark.

Race for mayor in Dearborn Heights, Hamtramck, Taylor

In Taylor, Mayor Tim Woolley is being challenged by former Metropolis Councilman Herman “Butch” Ramik. Woolley crushed Ramik within the August major by 71% to 18%. A controversial subject this 12 months is the contract for a metropolis towing service, with critics accusing a towing firm of making an attempt to affect town’s selections via marketing campaign donations to candidates. Taylor’s earlier mayor, Richard Sollars, is at present in jail for bribery.

In Dearborn Heights, Mayor Mo Baydoun, listed as Mohamad Baydoun in Wayne County marketing campaign finance information, is operating in opposition to Metropolis Councilwoman Denise Malinowski Maxwell. Baydoun was the highest vote-getter in the course of the August major, receiving 58.5% of the vote amongst 4 candidates. Baydoun, recognized for his outspoken criticism of Israel, has raised $210,297 to this point this 12 months as of the top of July, based on his marketing campaign report filed with Wayne County on July 29. Baydoun did not file, as required, two different marketing campaign finance experiences that have been due in early September and late October.

In Hamtramck, Councilman Muhith Mahmood is competing with political newcomer Adam Alharbi, the previous marketing campaign supervisor for Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib, who didn’t run for re-election after President Donald Trump picked him as ambassador to Kuwait. After an ungainly Senate listening to on October 23, experiences say Ghalib is unlikely to be confirmed after some Republican senators objected to a few of his earlier feedback on social media. Alharbi, who didn’t return messages looking for remark, and Ghalib endorsed Trump after talking to conservative Republicans in 2023.

Mahmood and Assemblyman Abu Musa, who’s operating for re-election, are being investigated by Michigan State Police for residency fraud. Lt. Michael Shaw, a spokesman for MSP, informed the Free Press on Oct. 29 that the investigation “stays open.” There are additionally two different Hamtramck metropolis council members, who aren’t up for re-election, dealing with prices of election fraud and an ongoing lawsuit by the previous metropolis supervisor alleging misconduct by metropolis officers. Hamtramck’s council, the one all-Muslim metropolis council within the U.S., will stay so after the November election as all six candidates on the poll for 3 seats are Muslim.

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