Monday, April 15, 2013
Tahir Hassan-Ali pulled petitions on Friday to run for mayor of Dearborn.
The Dearborn mayoral race is heating up, with four candidates pulling their petitions to be placed on the election ballot. Tahir Hassan Ali (legal name Tahir Hassan Al-Aragy), a real estate broker and Dearborn resident for the past 25 years, is the latest contender for the mayoral seat. Ali pulled his petition on April 12, stating that he feels the city is "due for a change in its administration." "I feel the city could use my expertise in property investment," he said. "Basically I'm proposing more city owned and operated investment companies. The city has to offer a reason for businesses to move here and pay taxes instead of leveraging more taxes on residents." Ali said he would also like to work with insurance copies to lower the …
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Saul Anuzis is considering running in the 2014 U.S. Senate election following the announcement of Sen. Carl Levin's retirement.
An announcement last week from Sen. Carl Levin that the longtime U.S. Congressman representing Michigan would not seek reelection in 2014 set off a flurry of interest from local Republicans—including one with Dearborn ties. Republican Party leader and former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis is among seven candidates who have expressed interest in running, according to information released by polital public relations firm Murray Communications. Anuzis is a 1981 graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where he studied economics. He stated on his blog, That's Saul, Folks! that Michigan is "a 'purple' state that can go 'red' under the right circumstances." Whether or not he'd be the right candidate, he added, was still …
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
A total of 11 candidates have pulled petitions for the 2013 council election.
As the May 14 deadline to file to run for office approaches, more names are emerging as possible candidates for Dearborn City Council—from business owners to law enforcement officials to attorneys. One candidates has also pulled petitions to run for the mayor’s seat. Mayor Jack O’Reilly has not pulled petitions as of Feb. 19, but did announce his intention to run for reelection at a fundraiser breakfast on Feb. 7. More: Who Will Run For Mayor of Dearborn in 2013? Here’s a look at the full list of candidates for Dearborn City Council, in order by the date on which they pulled petitions: None of the seven sitting members of city council have pulled petitions. All candidates must turn in 100 valid signatures by May 14 to be considered for the…
Thursday, January 31, 2013
The race for Dearborn City Council is already heating up.
With the City Council primary election still months away, two candidates are hoping to get an early start to spreading their message to residents by hosting a meet-and-greet event this Monday. Residents can meet Colette Richards and Michael Albano—the first names to emerge as possible candidates for Dearborn City Council—from 5-6:30 p.m. at Park Place on Feb. 4. Park Place is located at 23400 Park Street. "We wanted to meet more residents," Richards said in a statement. "Even though we might know some of them from Facebook, or they have seen our blogs, they don't know who we are or what we stand for." Though the candidates aren't running on the same platform, Albano said he felt hosting an event together would allow residents to get to …
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Elections for mayor and all seven council seats will take place in November.
Only one petition has been pulled for the Dearborn 2013 mayoral race, but that hasn't stopped residents from voicing their opinions on who else should run for the city's top elected spot. The mayor's seat, plus all seven Dearborn City Council seats, are up for reelection this November. Several residents have already pulled petitions to run for council. The sole petitioner as of Jan. 28 is Edward Binkley, a longtime resident and supporter of the Dearborn Historical Museum and city recreation programs. Aside from Binkley and current Mayor Jack O'Reilly, several names are being thrown around as possible candidates in online social spheres—including current City Council President Tom Tafelski and Wayne County Commission Chairman Gary Woronchak…
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
The filing deadline to run for local offices is May 14.
Though city council, mayoral and city clerk elections are still 11 months away, the effort to get on the ballot has already begun for some Dearborn residents. In addition to the mayor and clerk positions, all seven council seats are up for reelection in 2013. As of Jan. 8, two residents had pulled petitions to run for Dearborn City Council: Colette Richards and Michael Albano. Richards, a 15-year resident of Dearborn, is a media secretary with the Dearborn Public Schools, longtime member and former president of the Dearborn PTA, as well as founder of the city's Special Education PTA. She serves on the City Beautiful Commission, is a board member of the Dearborn Rotary Club, and is active with Dearborn Relay for Life. "I want to make sure …
Friday, November 9, 2012
The southeast Michigan health care provider helped secure general election ballots for 109 patients across their four hospitals.
When Tracie Terrell entered Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn in late October for a check-up and they told her she'd have to stay, life got put on hold. The resident of Westland had to cancel a meeting, let her family know where she was, and she wasn't going to be able to vote in the Nov. 6 election. "When I got here, I wasn't expecting to stay," she said. "When I realized I wasn't going home, I wondered how I would be able to vote." Luckily, Oakwood's Volunteer Services and Spiritual Support teams had wondered the same thing—and found a solution. In 2008, Oakwood began a program that helped patients secure and turn in absentee ballots. This November, the program went system-wide, helping 109 patients in the health provider's four hospitals …
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Four out of six statewide proposals were overwhelmingly defeated in Dearborn on Election Day.
While Dearborn voters mostly mirrored statewide trends in turning down proposals on the Nov. 6 ballot, there were two major differences: Dearborn voters passed Proposals 1 and 2 with a 50.58 and 52.34 percent majority, respectively. Statewide, voters turned down all six proposals. One of the most controversial government issues of the past year, Proposal 1 centered on the future of the state's emergency manager law. Passed as Public Act 4 in 2011, the law allowed the state to appoint an official to oversee a community deemed to be in significant financial trouble. The law allowed that official to dissolve any elected officials and union agreements. Proposal 1 was supported by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, and opposed by unions. Proposal 2 …
Absentee ballots hit a record high, while turnout at the polls lagged.
Maybe it was the long lines, the indimidation factor of a two-page, double-sided ballot, or that there simply wasn't as much enthusiasm. Whatever the case, Dearborn voter turnout in the 2012 general election did not hit expected levels. Of the city's 61,336 registered voters, 39,990 cast ballots on Tuesday—a 65.2 percent turnout. In the 2008 presidential election, Dearborn saw a 69.61 percent turnout, or 42,206 of its then 60,633 registered voters. City Clerk Kathy Buda had predicted a turnout closer to 70 percent this election, especially with the high number of absentee ballots cast. But while absentee voters jumped to the highest number Buda has seen in her time working elections—9,201 total cast, up from 8,575 in 2008—slow numbers at …
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Unions were disappointed. Canadians were thrilled. All in all, reactions were varied as Michigan voters shot down all six statewide ballot proposals.
Unions were disappointed. Canadians were thrilled. All in all, reactions were varied as Michigan voters shot down all six statewide ballot proposals. (See all statewide election results here.) The six state proposals on the Nov. 6 ballot in Michigan were: How did you vote on these proposals?
bitsy08
8:59 am on Monday, April 15, 2013
Wow. What a selection. more ›