Will Dearborn City Council Candidates Support a Future Income Tax?

Editor's note: In September, Dearborn Patch asked residents in the community to submit questionsfor the 14 city council candidates to answer. The questions were emailed to all of the council candidates. Only nine responded by the requested deadline.

This series will be split into four different topics. On Friday candidates discussed rental properties and landlord issues.

Under what circumstances would you support an income tax for the City of Dearborn? Please be specific.

Colette Richards:
I would never support an income tax for the city. I believe we need to get creative in how we fund certain things but an income tax is not how I would go about doing it.

Lots of people live and work in Dearborn and imposing yet another tax on the residents' backs will not help matters at all. In fact, it will just hinder economic growth as far as I’m concerned.

Tarek Baydoun:
I believe we have the resources necessary to provide excellent city services. I would not support a city income tax at this time, and only would consider one, if necessary, if it corresponds with a reduction in property taxes for the residents.

We must grow our tax base, because our tax rate is already high. I have produced a five point plan on property values and taxation aimed at growing our property values and avoiding additional taxation.

In summary, my plan calls for ending paid parking, which has devastated our downtown west Dearborn district; promoting residential property values with smart and effective ordinance enforcement and promoting home ownership versus rental property; implementing business incubators to revive our key commercial districts; and addressing Dearborn’s glut of empty office space by implementing programs to fill them with business and employees, promoting efficient and effective code enforcement that is fair and user friendly, and cracking down on unfair tax practices before they burden our residents and businesses.

Our detailed plans can be viewed and read online at www.DearbornFirst.com.

Sharon Dulmage:
Raising taxes or implementing new taxes should be a last resort. I would make sure that all efficiencies of operation are in place and fixed costs are kept as low as possible.

I never answer a question until I have all of the facts and figures. Only then would I answer this question completely; I have learned to make decisions based on fact. An income tax for people who work in Dearborn and live outside of Dearborn would have a great impact on those employed by our four major employers: Ford Motor, Dearborn Schools, Oakwood Hospital and City of Dearborn.

I will say that I worked in Detroit and paid income tax to the city of Detroit for a number of years. Once again, I would need facts and figures before I would say yes or no to a city income tax.

David Bazzy:
Under no circumstance should this be brought to the voters, looking at where we are fiscally there is no need for this type of tax at this time.
Robert Abraham:
I would never support a city of Dearborn income tax on residents or non-residents under the current tax system that already includes property taxes, Michigan sales and Michigan income tax.

Kristyn Taylor:
Unfortunately, I do not have enough knowledge about the pros and cons of this subject to give a specific answer at this time, or even to say whether I would or would not support an income tax.

It's important to know where the candidates stand on this kind of issues, but also important to know how they would deal with one they don't know much about. I would ensure that any conversations about a potential tax increase or structural change is open to the public, completely transparent, and is considered in a way that is most fair to all of Dearborn residents.

As your city councilwoman, you can rest assured that if this type of issue came before me, you would know about it and you would be involved in the process.
Mike Sareini:
In today’s climate I don’t see how I could support an income tax. I would have to study both sides of the issue, as any tax assessment is complicated and has affects to many people. This is why a city income is not in the direct hands of the city council members and, in accordance with Michigan law, must be in a form of a referendum on the ballot for the citizens to vote on.

Brian O'Donnell
This is another topic that seems to be popping up, although we have never discussed it as a council. This subject requires more research on what it would mean for the citizens and businesses that operate here, but generally speaking, a city income tax is a low priority as a revenue source.

Tom Tafelski:
I do not believe – at all - that the mayor has made a case for a city of Dearborn income tax. Furthermore, he has not explored or instituted the kinds of service, departmental and budgetary changes necessary for avoiding a city income tax.

Residents and business owners pay enough taxes, as it is; and, we should be thinking of ways to attract and retain residents, rather than pushing them further away.