Voters Return Six Incumbents to Dearborn Council
Berry and Adams Elected to School Board; HFCC Millage Passed
It was incumbents night out in Dearborn Tuesday.
Six incumbents again won back their city council seat in an election where just 29 percent of registered Dearborn voters (17,173 of the city’s 59,351 voters) went to the polls.
The lone new member of Dearborn City Council was Brian O’Donnell, a political newbie on the scene who ran a very effective campaign. He will replace Councilman Doug Thomas who finished in 10 place with just 5,078 votes.
The loss by Thomas certainly means he can now spend more time at his Florida home but it doesn’t mean he will fade off into the political sunset. Thomas told us before the election that if defeated he would work to put on the ballot a proposal to have term limits in Dearborn for all elected positions. We do find it interesting that his term limit idea never came to his mind during any of the 22 years Thomas served on city council.
Tom Tafelski was again the top vote getter with 9,744 votes, despite having to wade through a heavy dose of mudslinging by unknowns who accused him of paying fewer taxes than his neighbors, committing fraud, and for not paying parking tickets, among other accusations. He will continue serving as council president. A surprising second was Suzanne Sareini, who in her sixth term on council will now serve as council pro-tem.
George Darany, who was running for his second term, finished a strong third.
Robert Abraham, seeking his third term, finished fifth with 7,570 votes. This was his strongest finish yet since joining council and even more impressive since he finished ninth in the August primary.
Mark Shooshanian finished with 7,586 votes, just 16 votes in front of Abraham.
Nancy Hubbard barely made the seventh seat on the council with 6,970 votes. That is a huge fall for the councilwoman who last election finished third behind Tafelski but became council pro-tem when John B. O’Reilly, Jr., who was then council president, became mayor. This moved Tafelski into the council president seat and Hubbard as number two.
A nervous Hubbard watches the vote tally come in Tuesday night in this photograph by the Dearborn Press & Guide.
Hubbard barely survived a strong showing by David Bazzy, who finished with 6,422 votes, 548 behind Hubbard. Hubbard no doubt can thank her absentee voters for getting her into office. Hubbard was worried Tuesday night. The Dearborn Press & Guide’s Millard Berry, the paper’s award-winning photographer, captured the tense moments Tuesday night as the votes were being tallied. For the full photo, click HERE.
In the mayoral race, John B. O’Reilly, Jr., cruised to an easy win, defeating challenger Michael J. Prus, 14,150 to 1,932, taking about 88 percent of the votes.
O’Reilly’s win, along with victories by four of the five people he endorsed for city council (Hubbard, Shooshanian, Sareini and Abraham), means the mayor will be able to push forward his vision for the city more easily. Without the vote of Doug Thomas on council, it appears Tafelski will have a more difficult time solidifying support for his political agenda. Darany has voted with Tafelski in the past but he more recently has sided with O’Reilly, despite not being endorsed by the mayor this time out. O’Donnell will be the wild card but even if he and Darany vote with Tafelski that still only gives the council president three votes on matters.
In the Dearborn School Board race, Pamela Adams (6,968 votes) and Hussein Berry (5,965) won seats, beating out Roxanne McDonald (4,889) and John C. Corbin (4,517).
The Henry Ford Community College millage continuation proposal easily passed, 12,496 to 3,485. The one-half mil operating millage expires in 2010. The renewal preserves about $2 million of the college’s local operating budget.
The city council race results, in order of finish, are below.
- Thomas Patrick Tafelski. . . . . . 9,744
- Suzanne Sareini . . . . . . . . 8,103
- George T. Darany . . . . . . . . 7,762
- Mark C. Shooshanian . . . . . . . 7,586
- Robert A. Abraham. . . . . . . . 7,570
- Brian C. O’Donnell . . . . . . . 7,101
- Nancy A. Hubbard . . . . . . . . 6,970
- David W. Bazzy. . . . . . . . . 6,422
- Sharon Dulmage. . . . . . . . . 5,789
- Doug Thomas. . . . . . . . . . 5,078
- Patrick M. Kiernan . . . . . . . 4,921
- Ali Sayed . . . . . . . . . . 4,676
- Patrick D’Ambrosio . . . . . . . 4,563
- George Hart. . . . . . . . . . 3,915
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 35
November 5th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
@Ahoy Hoy,
LOL.. Matlock convention… sigh,
The library idea is a great start. I live in Gibraltar and this city does not have a library, so my “home” library is the city of Trenton BUT I can use the 61 libraries located in Wayne county, all except Henry Ford and the City of Detroit’s.
Its a great program, books get shipped from different locations to your “home” library and you can return at any library.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I attended the meeting this evening. Since I am going to stay in Dearborn (I know we have significant problems but I also know that no place is perfect) I want to know what is going on and also take a stab at having some input.
I hope to become sufficiently educated to have some influence on certain members of the council. I think that some will always vote for the administration but there is some hope that some are possible free-thinkers if they see that the have support in the community.
If anyone else wants to also get involved send me an email (kj8ster@gmail.com) and maybe we can support each other in this.
I
November 5th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
I think the only reason O’Donnell made it 7 is because of him saying that he will give %25 of his BASE PAY back to the city. If he did not offer to do that I would bet my life that he would not of made it. Make sure he is held to it! For all four years too! I am sure Telfarstski coached him to do that one. They both hade quit a party with all the younger firemen election night at the Post Bar. What a joke!!!
November 5th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Awesome step forward Kathleen ! You’ve got the right mind set,to put your energy into something more productive..
November 5th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Big Dog – O”Donnell made it because O’reilly/Siwik wanted Thomas gone and the paper published it.
Where were the papers when Abraham did not pay his taxes? Did you see that weekly prior to the election? NO
Where were the papers with Tafelski defrauding his company? Getting a property tax break on his home? Having tickets fixed? None of it was published so he was re-elected too.
The Press & Guido should now be renamed the Press and O’Reilly. He wanted Thomas gone and he got his wish. We are stuck with the others because it never made the press even though they were given the info. Not enough people read this site to get their info. Our local paper is now downriver and carry less and less Dearborn news. Don’t say ‘maybe there was nothing there’ because if you recall there was nothing there for Thomas either. After the scandal, Debbie Walling admitted Thomas DOES live in Dearborn. Too late, the damage was done. Ask your self why Tafelski and Abraham were treated differently?
November 6th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Wanting for better, I agree above. T and A (pardon the pun) should have had all that put in the papers too.
I did want the old man Thomas off the council. I sure would have liked to see someone else besides O’Donnell take that spot. He is gonna go whatever way Telfartski tells him to. Kiernan, Bazzy, and D’Ambrosio all are independent thinkers. Not to mention the 3 of them have more business experience between them than the other 11 do put together. They would have run the city like a company and done cuts where needed. And I know for sure they would have fixed that f#@$%* up building dept.. I know and have talked to all that ran. I know some better than others, but most of them should have not been re-elected. This city is going in the wrong direction. There is no loyalty left. The old small town feel is gone. The police and fire want incentives to live in the city, which is a bunch of BS. NO LOYALTY!!! This election has me sooo pissed off I am thinking of getting the hell out of town or should I say city. They all are afraid to make a stand, to do what is right, to not kiss some groups asses!!! I actually talked to Kiernan the night of the election, I hope he doesn’t get mad at me for saying this, but he said if he ran again he would not seek and respectfully decline all interviews for indorsements. He said if he where elected he did not want to owe anyone any favors and would do it on his own. Or maybe team up with a couple that have his same views. I am new to this blog and I will post as BIG DOG. Alot of you might know me, but I will also choose to remain a ghost with a PC.
Lets try to stay positive even though the near future looks alittle meek!!
November 6th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Agreed we are going down. all you oldtimers (i’m 55) remember when Dearborn was spoken in the same terms as the Points and Birmingham, now we don’t even compete with the Heights, Taylor, or Canton. Shame on all the leaders who grew up in this town and caved into self indulgence instead of retaining our status and dignity!
November 6th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Big Dog – “I am thinking of getting the hell out of town or should I say city.” Now that doesn’t sound very positive to me.
November 6th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
BIG DOG WELL SAID!!!
November 6th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
“Agreed we are going down. all you oldtimers (i’m 55) remember when Dearborn was spoken in the same terms as the Points and Birmingham, now we don’t even compete with the Heights, Taylor, or Canton.”
Well, I’m pretty close to 55 and am telling you that the only people who ever even remotely equated Dearborn with Birmingham or the Pointes were people who lived in Dearborn. Let’s not get all crazy here. Dearborn was never like Birmingham or the Pointes. I wonder if people in Highland Park were talking like this in the 40’s and 50’s. Wasn’t Highland Park the first “Dearborn”?
Flame away, but you’re not going to make any progress by being delusional.
November 6th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
It seems that complacency is eventually met with these sort of dark days. Maybe these election results will finally get some of us off our seats and do something. I have contacted “Kathleen” who was good enough to add her email address to this blog. She went to last nights meeting, which I had to miss unfortunately, but I will be there Monday. The more that go the better. So I really hope there are a number of you there. It’s the only way to fight back. There is still time to bring Dearborn back. Don’t give up.
Regarding police and fire looking for incentives: I think the biggest incentive they are looking for right now is a chief and a mayor that will not tie their hands when trying to keep the bad guys out of Dearborn. That is the issue citizens should be taking up with the council and the mayor. Without them patroling the border of Detroit like they do, we have nothing. But, no chases!! It’s not right. Forget the mention of incentives to live in the city, many of them do, incentives or not. If they cannot do their job, no property tax break will be enough to keep the good officers here.
November 6th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
I know Donna. Just really pissed off right now. I will come back around to the plus side. I have always been “the glass is half full kind of guy!”. These results make me feel like the glass is empty, maybe even broke. I guess we all have to hang in there and make alot of noise.
November 6th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
I meant all the other stuff I said about loyalty in this city! IT IS GONE!!! Ask most of the business owners that have been around here for years! They are only loyal to the ones that send them kick backs in some way or another
November 6th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
In a “strong mayor/weak council” form of government there is little a council can do about how a department is run, and has little if no say in its policies.
The council controls the budjet and spending, enacts ordinances and makes resolutions. Any council candidate that tells you how their going to clean up this or that department is really just blowing political smoke up your butts. Look for the ones that are going to cut department cost and spending, hold the administration to budgets and you may have a possible candidate, Until then we’re stuck with the same old BS that got us in this place to begin with. I’m for term limits only because our voters are to apathetic to make a good choice. I’m disappointed in tuesdays results.
November 6th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
It’s scary to think that Sareini is just two heartbeats away from becoming mayor of Dearborn. Any thoughts on how she managed to finish in second place?
November 7th, 2009 at 7:35 am
BIG DOG, I know exactly where you are coming from, been there done that with no results – it gets rather disheartening.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:21 am
If we didn’t have absentee ballot neither Sareini nor Hubbard would have made the top “7”. When you spend 95% of your time trying to get the senior vote what do you expect!
November 7th, 2009 at 10:27 am
(Donna Hay says:
November 7th, 2009 at 7:35 am
BIG DOG, I know exactly where you are coming from, been there done that with no results – it gets rather disheartening.)
Been where and done what exactly?
November 7th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Huh?, What I meant was trying to get something organized with the city and the landowners so we could get some answers regarding all the vacant property.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
All,
There is a meeting at 7:00 Monday night. I will be there and I know of two others from this blog that are going. We have let them get away with driving this city into the ground for long enough…especially the Mayor. 20 years between being Council President and now Mayor. It’s time he hears from Dearborn taxpayers who do not live in the any of the senior towers.
November 8th, 2009 at 8:33 am
Donna,
In all fairness, I feel that it must be said that Hakim was open to the meeting last summer (2008) and did in fact meet with several of us. It was the admistration that apparently saw no value in it–thus pretty much killing the effort.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Thanks, you are right, I think I did say that in one of my postings but I should have repeated it again. He was more than willing to participate in a Town Hall meeting or any kind of a meeting and hash out all the rumors that were and still are flying around. When Hakim did meeting with us there wasn’t a question that was asked the he didn’t answer.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:33 am
Ahoy mate, my bad! Yo right we be all gettin along good. Wholla! Glad wez gitten closer to Highland Park, i’s hate to think wez improving. Class no way, entitlement shall lead us. Peace out ya’ll!