By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS – Experienced local politicians Mo Baydoun and Denise Malinowski-Maxwell are running to be the next mayor of Dearborn Heights.
Both have city council experience, and Malinowski-Maxwell served briefly as mayor when the late Daniel Paletko died of COVID-19 while in office, while Baydoun is currently serving as mayor following Bill Bazzi’s resignation to serve as U.S. ambassador to Tunisia.
Each candidate was asked to introduce themselves and to explain their priorities.
Mo Baydoun
I am running for mayor of Dearborn Heights because I love this city. I grew up here and I’ve spent my entire career serving the people who call this place home.
From my time on the city council to serving as acting mayor, I know what works and exactly where we’re falling short. My focus is simple: Steady, local leadership, not politics. I’m focused on getting results for our families. I want every family to feel proud of where they live. I’m here to make sure every person in Dearborn Heights feels seen, heard, and cared for.
My top priorities are keeping our community clean, safe, and well-supported; fully supporting our first responders and public employees; improving basic city services like street maintenance, snow removal and blight cleanup; and making City Hall more transparent, responsive and easy to access for every resident.
Denise Malinowski Maxwell
As a longtime resident of Dearborn Heights, I have an extensive knowledge of the city and its history. I served as Dearborn Heights city council chair for four years and continue to serve on the city council. I was also interim mayor in 2020 and 2021. I understand what it takes on a daily basis to run the city of Dearborn Heights successfully. I bring with me a lifetime of experience and feel confident that I will be able to turn the city back around to what it needs to be.
My top priority is to make sure every department is fully staffed to properly serve the public. Currently reckless driving is a major issue in our city. We need to get this under control. I will also go over the budget to ensure it is balanced and accurate. As far as additional revenue, I will hire a qualified grant writer to help us secure more funding.