DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — Residents from the south and east parts of Dearborn are advocating for a change in how city council members are elected, citing concerns about representation and resource allocation.
Watch Faraz Javed's video report:
Currently, Dearborn's seven-member city council includes six representatives from the west end and only one from the east, creating what some residents call an imbalance in addressing community needs.
The "Dearborn Wants Wards" campaign has collected over 6,000 signatures in just 13 days, surpassing the minimum requirement by more than 2,000 to place a charter amendment on the November ballot.
"If people had voice in city council and if we had districted seats, everyone in the city would have a voice," said Mona Mawari, who is leading the campaign.
The proposal would restructure the council to nine seats: three for the west end, four for the east and south ends and two at-large positions.
Abdul-Galil Ahmed, chairman of the Yemen American Cultural Center who moved to south Dearborn in 1979, points to several issues in his neighborhood.
"No. 1 is pollution," Ahmed said.
Mawari demonstrated the issue by showing a napkin with soot wiped from a window inside a home, confirming this happens daily.
"No. 2 is how to rejuvenate this area and encourage more investment and development to attract people to come to this area," Ahmed added.
Wahbeh Nuseibah, a volunteer with the campaign and east end resident, highlighted inconsistent city services as another problem.
"Our garbage collection pickups, where in the west end, it's very on time, it's weekly. We suffer from those issues on the east end, where some weeks, they are late. Some weeks, they don't show up at all," Nuseibah said.
Residents also point to flooding issues and lack of recreational facilities in their neighborhoods.
"This community really wants an indoor soccer field. It keeps our kids engaged, they stay off the streets. And this is something we have advocated for. And unfortunately, the administration in city council were not able to allocate money for it. We pay taxes but unfortunately, we don't get to say how those taxes are allocated," Mawari said.
Councilmember Leslie Herrick acknowledged the historical imbalance in representation but defended the city's efforts to address needs across all neighborhoods.
"I strongly believe that any city council member needs to know the needs and wishes of residents from one end of the city to another. But beyond that, I understand that people want representation from their own neighborhood. And historically, that has not been the case in Dearborn. Most of the council members and mayors have come from the west side of the city," Herrick said.
Herrick highlighted ongoing projects in the south and east ends, including multimillion-dollar investments in Lapeer Park and regulations to penalize corporate polluters. When asked about disparities between different parts of the city, she responded "I don't think so."
She also expressed concerns about the potential drawbacks of a ward system.
"If we elect individuals were to represent certain neighborhoods, it's possible that we could have arguments. People fighting for a particular pet project in their neighborhood and not listening to where the real needs are in the city," Herrick said.
Ahmed sees the campaign as a positive development for local democracy.
"This movement and this kind of awareness is what I call democratic upgrading in Dearborn. We are not doing anything that's going to make Dearborn less. It's going to make Dearborn better," Ahmed said.
If approved by voters in November, the changes would take effect for the next city council election in 2029.
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