The Yemeni American News sat down with Arab American candidate for Dearborn Mayor Hakim Fakhoury and had an extensive interview. Here are some of the questions that were answered and Candidate Fakhoury’s answers:
YAN: Tell us about yourself.
Candidate Fakhoury: I went to Howe, Stout, Edsel Ford and then Henry Ford. During college my father lost his job so he went back to Kuwait for employment and I had to take care of the family.
Then working with Mayor Guido on his new vision for the district which was entertainment district, I started redevelopment properties and working with the city to bring regional tenets and and national tenants then eventually national Panera Bread in Buffalo wings. I sat down on the development authority for two or three terms and I also was very involved with the West Dearborn business association and I sat down on the executive board of the Dearborn Chamber.
YAN: What are you doing right now?
Candidate Fakhoury: After 35 years of working, seven days a week, every single day, not going on vacations with my family. The last couple years I have enjoyed my time with them. Then I decided about six or eight months ago that the issues that I went through with the city of Dearborn and the mayor on their direction; my passion for the city and the way I see it going gave me the initiative to run for mayor.
YAN: Why did you decide to run for mayor?
Candidate Fakhoury: One of the biggest challenges for the city is that they have not allowed new blood to come in and take over, young youth who have a different perspective on life, different perspective on the social media, on Facebook. None of them have really owned and operated business, and if the city is run like a business and everybody’s accountable in every single department, there’s no reason we should have to go out and ask for bonds or increased taxes.
YAN: How can you convince voters to vote for you?
Candidate Fakhoury: Now my focus is on the “Master Plan”: redeveloping of the entire city. There is no current master plan done for the entire city. Even now with Ford Motor Company, these are developments are just thrown in there because of the investments. But are you truly doing the right thing under a 20 year plan, fifty year plan or a hundred plan that most economic & community development? Companies come in and do. I have spent a lot of time in Dearborn and what I seen is that the system is broken, what I have seen that a family has been in power for 20 or 30 years and I am a city government has only been run by two or three families.
YAN: Your perspective on the Ford Project
Candidate Fakhoury: In 2004- 2005, I went to Mayor Guido and I said over the last five or 10 years I purchased up a lot of real estate on certain blocks and I would like to use as a partnership between the city and myself to redevelop these blocks properly instead of putting perfume on a pig, basically reusing the same buildings. My project were approved under one condition that I have to build parking docks. in 2014 I sold these properties and two weeks later, the city removed the paid parking.
YAN:What’s your response to: “your dreams are bigger than the city”
Candidate Fakhoury:I don’t owe anyone anything, I can’t be bought and I truly believe that this city runs through special interest groups, some of the candidates will come in under the same mindset, my initiatives are clear: to make changes. I want to come in there and amend the charter to say that we are going to impose term limits to make sure that these dynasties don’t stay forever. I’m going to also make sure that we try to put the votes, districts for in the city of Dearborn so we have representations from all over Dearborn.
Candidate Fakhoury: Your position on having an indoor soccer field ?
Dearborn should be the transcender in Wayne County and in Michigan. It is to utilize EB5 program to solicit funds to be able to use the federal money program to build indoor soccer field and this way you have no debts and you don’t owe nobody money. Soccer field will generate revenues to help support itself, the maintenance. You have to keep your residents happy and give them what they want.
YAN: Why should voters vote for you and your message to the readers?
I’m the only Arab American mayoral candidate that is running. I’m asking for the vote because I believe I am qualified for the post not just because I’m Arab American.
YAN: Your last message
Candidate Fakhoury: I’ve been very active on social media and there’s a lot of fake news, I asked everybody who have any question to call me, my number is 313-215-745, I’m accessible now I’ll be at accessible when I become a mayor.
