Nine candidates file for upcoming city council election

By Charles Sercombe
The election season has officially begun.
This past Tuesday was the deadline for candidates running for one of three seats on city council to file.
No surprisingly, the three incumbent candidates on council will seek re-election. They are: Councilmembers Anam Miah, Abu Musa and Robert Zwolak.
Their challengers include some well-known names, such as former City Councilmember Cathie Gordon and outspoken government critic Susan Dunn.
The other challengers include: Saad Almasmari, Frank Woodman, Monzurul Karim and Mohamed Alsomiri.
All of the candidates have until this Friday, April 24, to withdraw from the election. The Review went to press on Thursday afternoon.
(Update: None of the candidates dropped out of the election.)
The field of nine candidates means there will be a runoff in the Primary Election held on Aug. 4. Out of that field, the number of candidates will be reduced to six.
The final three will be decided in the November General Election.
This is one of the smallest fields of candidates to file for office in recent years. The reason for that might be that the council has very little power to do anything.
The city has only recently emerged from a financial emergency that required a state-appointed emergency manager to take control of the city. The EM left her position over three months ago, but through her final directives left the city manager pretty much in total control.
A state-appointed Transition Advisory Board will also be overseeing the city’s finances for at least the next two years.
The complete return to local control will be decided once local officials prove they can manage the city without falling back into a financial crisis.
By the looks of things, that could be quite a while. Some of the current city councilmembers, including Miah and Zwolak, have butted heads with City Manager Katrina Powell, and it doesn’t look like that will ease up soon.
There are some interesting tidbits so far about the candidates. Woodman is a rock and roll musician who goes by the name “Woodman Caveman.”
Almasmari previously ran for school board but lost.
Dunn has had a colorful past dealing with elected officials, and has been thrown out of council meetings for verbally attacking Mayor Karen Majewski. At one such meeting she called the mayor a “bitch” as she left the council chambers.
She was also part of the successful mass lawsuit filed by residents against the city for damages from basement floodings. Property owners were forced to pay the lawsuit settlement through a court-ordered tax.
Dunn also accused Emergency Manager Cathy Square of assaulting her. That charge was investigated by the Michigan State Police but no further action was taken.
Gordon decided to resign from council two years ago in order to challenge Mayor Majewski. She came in fourth place out of four candidates who took on the mayor.
Majewski won her re-election bid and is now serving her third term.
Candidate Alsomiri is the owner of the former Shopper’s World on Jos. Campau and Yemans. The building has been vacant for several years. It is not known what he plans to do with the building.
Candidates take note: The City Clerk’s Office will be conducting a thorough background search of candidates, including their residency claims and whether they owe property taxes.
According to Wayne County Treasurer’s records, Councilmember Abu Musa was behind a little over $4,000 in property taxes for his house at 11632 Gallagher. He settled that bill shortly before filing for re-election.
According to the City Charter, elected officials can be kicked out of office for being a “defaulter” to the city or any other government body.