The final public hearing on Dearborn’s proposed fiscal year 2012 budget will be held today, June 6, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers.

On Tuesday, June 7 at 5:30 p.m. the city will adopt the budget and set the tax rate for Fiscal Year 2012, which begins July 1, 2011.

No matter what is cut from the city to save money, including pools, library branches and the end of leaf pickup, we can all count on the city coming to residents to vote on a tax hike this year to cover the city’s massive budget shortfall.

If you have time, please try to attend both meetings this week.

If you need more information, feel free to contact your City Council office at 943-2025.

If you travel Gulley Road in Dearborn, you’ll need to find an alternate route for at least the next two weeks. Repairs are scheduled to begin the week of June 6 on the Gulley Road bridge, north of Michigan Avenue.

Traffic will be maintained for northbound traffic. Southbound traffic will be detoured. Drivers searching for a southbound route are advised to use Cherry Hill, Ford Road or Michigan Avenue to reach their destination.

The repair work will take about 14 days, weather permitting, Dearborn officials say.

The GV Cement Co. will repair the bridge deck and bridge approaches on the north side.

Maintaining one way traffic for north bound drivers was recommended by the Dearborn Police, Dearborn Fire Department, Dearborn Heights Fire Department and Dearborn Heights DPW.

The Wayne County Department of Public Services is sponsoring a free Household Hazardous Waste Collection event 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 18 on the campus of Henry Ford community College, 5101 Evergreen Road.

It is open to Dearborn and all other Wayne County residents.

The event will allow residents to dispose of items such as household paints, stains, and dyes; floor care products such as wax and carpet cleaner; furniture polish; bathroom cleaners; stain removers; solvents; non-controlled pharmaceutical waste; nail polish; glue; fertilizer; lawn and garden chemicals; pesticides; antifreeze; motor oil; gasoline; propane tanks; automotive and dry cell batteries; fluorescent bulbs; fire extinguishers; smoke detectors; mercury thermometers and thermostats; and elemental mercury.

People are also encouraged to donate computer CPUs, monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, and mice, as well as cell phones, fax machines, copiers, and televisions, for electronics recycling.

Among the items not accepted are: commercial and industrial waste, radioactive material, explosives, ammunition, 55 gallon drums, shock sensitive materials, household trash, refrigerators, microwaves and other appliances, ties, yard waste, roofing shingles, and concrete will not be accepted at this event.

For more information on the event or on how to rid of the items not accepted, contact the Wayne County Department of Public Service at 734-326-3936.

Family Dollar is expected to soon open in the former site of Jo-Ann Fabrics.

There soon will be one less vacancy along Newman Street next to ACO Hardware in Dearborn.

The long-vacant building (not owned by Norm Newman who has his share of vacant buildings in our town) will soon be the home of a future Family Dollar store. Hardly the kind of store most of us would like to see fill Dearborn’s retail void but maybe it is a sign of the times  . . . and probably better than a vacancy.

The owners of Family Dollar have been talking about moving into the former Jo-Ann Fabrics building for about two years, according to one city official. Now, it appears the owners are a bit more serious having recently come to City Hall to have their plans for the new store reviewed, including new signage for the store.

No word yet on when it will open but it should be soon as putting up shelving to stock Made in China goods won’t take too long.