Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud gives first State of City address since taking office
DEARBORN, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - For the very first time, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud made his State of City address at the Ford Performing Arts Center on Tuesday.
"Tonight is an opportunity to give the people we serve an update on what we've done, where we are headed, and most importantly what we believe in," Hammoud says.
He outlined some of the very first things he did since taking office in November 2021 like creating a health department.
"One of my first actions as mayor was to establish a department of public health to answer the question, what more can we do?" Hammoud says.
One focus of emphasis for Hammoud was also improving city safety.
"Our officers have prioritized violations like speeding, reckless driving, and running stop signs in residential areas. but we didn't stop there. We also invested in other traffic measures like speed humps," Hammoud says.
The city's recent partnership with Google also made the mayor's speech.
"As we speak, Google is building a state-of-the-art website. Google has bet on Dearborn because betting on Dearborn is the safest bet anyone can make," Hammoud says.
And while Hammoud also touched on issues including protecting homes from future floods, investing in local entrepreneurship, and improving community engagement, he did leave folks with a surprise.
"There is one final piece I haven't mentioned," Hammoud says as the video began playing before the crowd.
In it, the very first images of three parks that will soon be built in the city's west downtown, east downtown, and south end as part of the Dearborn's $30 million Peace Parks Project.
"These aren't just any parks. These parks embody the future for our city. A city that is green and innovative, communal and connected. And thanks to our partners at Imagine Design, we are bringing three unique experiences to our city," Hammoud says.
And while his excitement around the project is evident, he wants people to walk away from his address feeling good about the future.
"In Dearborn, we bet on ourselves and the safest bet anyone can make is on the place we call home," Hammoud says.