{"id":1764,"date":"2018-08-04T22:05:40","date_gmt":"2018-08-04T19:05:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/?p=1764"},"modified":"2018-08-04T22:05:40","modified_gmt":"2018-08-04T19:05:40","slug":"wayne-county-commission-candidate-sam-baydoun-southend-needs-attention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/wayne-county-commission-candidate-sam-baydoun-southend-needs-attention\/","title":{"rendered":"Wayne County Commission candidate Sam Baydoun: Southend needs attention"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dearborn –\u00a0The Yemeni American News<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dearborn realtor Sam Baydoun, who is running for Wayne County commissioner, vowed to address \u201cenvironmental injustice\u201d issues in the highly polluted Southend of Dearborn.
\n\u201cThe Southend of Dearborn has been neglected for many years. My top priority is to serve all of Dearborn, not just the Southend, but that area in particular needs attention big time,\u201d Baydoun said.
\nIn an interview with the Yemeni American News, he highlighted his ties to the Dearborn community, stressing that he is looking to serve constituents and not seeking prestige or money.
\n\u201cI\u2019m running because I want to give back to my community. I\u2019d like to take my activism to the next level by representing the residents of Dearborn and Allen Park on the Wayne County Commission,\u201d Baydoun told YAN.
\nHe added that he has been in the community for four decades, since he moved from Lebanon as a teenager.
\n\u201cI am a Fordson graduate, Henry Ford Community College graduate and Detroit College of Business graduate. I became a real estate agent in 1986 and I am married, I have four beautiful children. I\u2019m very active in the community. I belong to several nonprofit organizations,\u201d he said.
\nBaydoun says his 32 years of experience in real estate makes him uniquely qualified to serve on the commission.
\n\u201cThey don\u2019t have a real estate broker on the Wayne County Commission,\u201d Baydoun said.
\n\u201cThe Wayne County deals with a lot of real estate transactions in terms of land acquisitions and buying and selling some of the county-owned properties sometimes, so having a real estate knowledge on the commission will only help.\u201d
\nIf elected, Baydoun would become the first Arab American from Dearborn on the commission. In 2014, the former mayor of Wayne city Al Haidous was elected as Wayne County commissioner.
\nAccording to Baydoun, the stakes are high for the local community in this election. He noted that the county is responsible for many policies that impact residents directly, including maintaining main roads. He said he himself has been the victim of tire-wrecking potholes.
\n\u201cBeing on the County commission for someone from Dearborn who\u2019s on a daily basis talking to people and understanding their issues I think would be a great asset,\u201d he said.
\nBaydoun has the backing of Dearborn Mayor Jack O\u2019Reilly. He has also been endorsed by the man he is trying to succeed – outgoing commissioner Gary Woronchak, who is seeking a seat in the State Senate.
\nBaydoun said his relationship with the mayor predates his involvement in politics. He has worked with O\u2019Reilly on issues related real estate, including eliminating the escrow policy, which he said was \u201cthe catalyst for turning the real estate market around.\u201d
\n\u201cIf you bought a property from a bank in the city of Dearborn you would have had to put a huge amount of money in escrow in order to transfer the property,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was creating an obstacle for homeowners, for realtors, to buy these homes. The Mayor realized all of this, we worked together, we came up with a solution and the escrow was eliminated.\u201d
\nBaydoun praised O\u2019Reilly\u2019s leadership, saying that when he backed him in the mayoral race last year, he had not decided to run for county commissioner.
\nThe real estate agent discussed his campaigning efforts, saying that he is knocking on doors and receiving a lot of support from community members.
\n\u201cI had over 600 people in our kickoff campaign,\u201d he said. \u201cThat speaks volumes that Sam Baydoun has been involved… I\u2019m very grateful and very appreciative of this great community.\u201d
\nBaydoun will face off against Navy veteran and former State Rep. candidate Brian Stone in the August primaries.
\n\u201cI did outraise my opponent by quite a bit,\u201d Baydoun told YAN.
\nHe urged the community to come out and vote, noting that the election will be decided in the primaries because Dearborn and Allen Park\u2019s seat on the commission is a safe Democratic spot.
\n\u201cAugust 7th is the primary date. There are two Democrats running for the Wayne County Commission and if you believe in Sam Baydoun and what he has done for the last three decades in the city of Dearborn I\u2019m asking for your support,\u201d he said.
\nHe also said that his door is always open and encouraged residents to reach out to him.
\n\u201cI need you to come out and vote on August 7th. If you\u2019re planning to travel overseas you can walk into the city of Dearborn and vote absentee. Our race is determined on August 7th, if I win on August 7th the race is over, there\u2019s no opponent running against a democrat in November. There\u2019s no Republican running in November. Voting is a very serious matter. I would like to be your voice on the County Commission and I hope I can earn your trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

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