Does Dearborn Need a Mayoral Change?

Submitted by Tahir Hassan AlAragy

Other cities in the United States, with much less real estate tax rates, are prosperous and listed in Forbes magazine as top U.S cities to live and work.

We see our dear historical city, Dearborn, is financially struggling and possibly facing a budget deficit. We're scaling down, major hotels are running away, and we're relying on grants to purchase new buildings instead of enhancing city investments.

We have declining property values, continuous violations, foreclosure and mortgage fraud cases without aggressive resolutions by the city administration, major corporations and employers are closing down without finding any alternatives by city administration, and increasing criminal and safety defects without finding appropriate resolutions by the city administration. On top of all that, we never heard someone apologizing to residents for these issues and defects.

So, what is the city administration doing then? Only levying taxes and fees, collecting trash and patching potholes on asphalt roads? Does the city of Dearborn need a mayoral change?

As a resident of the city and a senior economist, I think yes, it does. It does in order to be upscaled and revive its economy. Bring back the Ritz Carlton and Hyatt Regency hotels, attract national and international investors and entrepreneurs and be friendly to them.

It needs a change to stop violations, foreclosures and mortgage fraud cases. It needs a change to stop what impeding the real estate market appreciation and declining property value. It needs change to be prosperous, competitive and globalized.

I think Dearborn’s residents should take the first step toward mayoral change, because people who do not take the first step never take the second step. So, my fellow residents of Dearborn should not wait until the city is bankrupt and wait for Gov. Rick Snyder come to us with an emergency manager. Dearborn's clean and safe logo, as written on the city’s police cars, is not enough. It must say, Dearborn prosperous, clean and safe.

I think all candidates are good people, but we can not stick to failing management nor give the vehicle to someone who has not gotten his driver's license yet.

I think that I am the best qualified candidate in this election, due to my educational background and my extensive professional expertise as a senior economist, researcher and author that has been engaged in the management of a lot of international financial transactions and worked for international high reputable financial and diplomatic institutions.

Dearborn’s residents have been trying non-economic educational background mayors, but the result remains negative as to budget situation, city investments, improvement and development.

The city of Dearborn must be prosperous, not only clean and safe, as written on police cars.

Does Dearborn need a mayoral change? I leave the answer to the honest, fair-minded and just fellow residents of Dearborn.

Editor's note: Tahir Hassan AlAragy is one of five candidates running for Dearborn mayor in the Aug. 6 primary election. You can read more about his candidacy here.