Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud to give first State of the City address

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud is to deliver his first State of the City address Tuesday evening, describing his accomplishments after 16 months in office and talking about future goals. The city said more than 600 are expected to attend the event at the Ford Performing Community and Arts Center.

"This is an opportunity to provide the people of Dearborn a formal update on the administration’s achievements, priorities, and aspirations for the future," the city said on its Facebook page.

Hammoud, 33, was elected in November 2021 on a wave of discontent about the city's lack of response to residential needs highlighted by floods earlier that year. He took office in January last year, drawing national attention as the city's first mayor of Arab descent in a city where more than 47% of its residents have Middle Eastern ancestry. He has worked to establish a progressive vision and increase diversity in City Hall and its policies, hiring the first Muslim police chief in the city's history.

In April last year, Hammoud reestablished the city's health department, which is prioritizing equity and environmental justice. Last month, Hammoud announced the city was filing a lawsuit against a scrapyard it accused of causing pollution in the south end, an area with a sizable population of low-income immigrants who often suffer from air pollution problems. He also is trying to reduce reckless driving by installing speed humps and working with police on cracking down on drivers who break traffic laws. The city has also worked to get millions of dollars in state funds to improve Camp Dearborn in Milford.

He and the city council launched an effort last year to offer Arabic-language ballots. And earlier this year, Dearborn became the first city in the history of the U.S. to make Eid al-Fitr a paid holiday. In February, Hammoud announced the city is working with Google on its digital infrastructure, an initiative Google says will improve services for residents using artificial intelligence in English, Arabic and Spanish.

Dearborn's population has declined by about 2,000 residents over the past two years, according to census data released last week. Like other large cities in the tri-county area, Dearborn lost population last year, but still has more residents than in 2010. Known as the hometown of Henry Ford, Dearborn is trying to position itself as a welcoming place for business while listening to residential concerns.

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Hammoud has faced some political challenges, from retired firefighters upset over possible changes to health care benefits, complaints about changes to tax assessments that some say hurt certain neighborhoods, and initial complaints from the Wayne County Clerk about the Arabic ballots. Hammoud, a Democrat who supported Bernie Sanders in his presidential campaigns, also faces a resurgent Republican movement in Dearborn that drew national attention last year for its opposition to some LGBTQ books in Dearborn Public Schools and had attacked Hammoud for releasing a statement in support of the keeping the books in libraries.

To watch Tuesday's address by Hammoud in person, the city is asking attendees to register at this link for the free event that starts at 5:30 pm: https://bit.ly/3M4ntyq. Doors open at 5 p.m. at the Ford Performing Community and Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., with Hammoud set to speak at 6 p.m.

You can also watch it online on YouTube or on Facebook on the city's accounts.

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or Twitter @nwarikoo.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud to give first State of City address