City Hall Insider … 4/22/25

By Charles Sercombe
The city council met on April 22, and all councilmembers were in attendance.
The council submitted a proclamation honoring the late Pope Francis, who died on April 21. The proclamation read, in part:
“Pope Francis has been a tireless advocate for the poor, the marginalized, and the environment, calling upon all people to care for one another and for our common home; and through his leadership, Pope Francis has promoted interfaith dialogue, peace among nations, and the importance of mercy, forgiveness, and inclusion; and the City of Hamtramck is home to a vibrant and diverse population, including a long-standing and faithful Catholic community, for whom the message and example of Pope Francis continues to be a profound source of hope and encouragement; and Pope Francis represents a unifying moral voice during challenging times, encouraging global citizens to act with dignity, courage, and faith. …”
In another proclamation, the city council commemorated May 4 as International Firefighters’ Day. The proclamation read, in part:
“The primary purpose of International Firefighters’ Day is to honor and commemorate past firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice, laying down their lives while bravely serving their communities; this day also serves as an opportunity to express deep gratitude and appreciation to all individuals who have dedicated themselves to the noble profession of firefighting, risking their lives to ensure the safety and well-being of others; International Firefighters’ Day provides a platform to demonstrate unwavering support and appreciation for the courageous men and women who continue to serve as firefighters, displaying selflessness, bravery, and dedication in the face of danger. …”
City Clerk Rana Faraj responded to a request by some members of the city’s Bosnian community for election ballots to be printed in their language.
(State law requires ballots to be printed in a foreign language when a community has a population with more than 5% of the voting-age citizens who have limited English proficiency.)
Bosnians, she said, comprise about 7% of the city’s population, but that includes those not of voting age.
Faraj said that, by state election law, the city is required to print ballots in the Bengali language because they make up 26 percent of the city’s 27,000 population.
Faraj says the city also prints ballots in the Arabic language as well as English.
This is done despite the fact that the city is not required to print ballots in Arabic because, based on the census, there is no designation for people who identify as being Arabic.
However, that population, mostly Yemeni, represents about 25 percent of the city’s population, Faraj said.
The cost for printing ballots in another language, which includes translation service, is about $7,000 per language.
“It’s not just cost,” Faraj said, “it’s a lot of extra work.”
Having said that, Faraj said she will continue to look into “options.”
During public comment, Abraham Aljahim criticized a recent Facebook post that “bashed” Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri.
He said Altaheri is one of the few police chiefs in the region who actually lives in the city where he serves.
“It’s hard to find a chief who lives within the city,” Aljahim said
Ahmed Sharaf Aldeen, a self-described journalist and activist, credited Mayor Amer Ghalib for “moving Hamtramck from zero to a billion.”
(The apparent reference was to the national and international attention to the city for his endorsement and support of President Trump.)
A resident who lives near White Star bar on Conant complained about ongoing fights, shootings and other disturbances. He asked the city to do something about it.
“White Star has been a real thorn,” he said. “It’s only going to get worse.
Former City Councilmember Nayeem Choudhury, who is also a candidate in the primary election for council, also complained about the bar.
“That club has been making a mess and chaos,” Choudhury said.
He also said that he hopes that candidates who are running for elected office are doing so “from the bottom of your heart – serving the community, not your own self.”
A woman complained about the Muslim call to prayer being too loud.
“Now that I can open the windows, it’s only going to get worse,” she said. “The howling of the call to prayer … I don’t want to hear the loud.”
As for the sound of church bells, the woman said they “shut up after awhile. … If it were up to me, shut them all off.”
Mayor Ghalib, a Muslim, responded, saying: “I can see so much hate on your face when speak, and that’s not acceptable here. Thousands of people want to hear that call to prayer. It’s a democracy.”
Hassan Aoun, of Dearborn, who is a Muslim, stepped up and started to angrily pound the lectern, saying the woman who complained about the volume of call to prayers disrespected Muslims.
“Ain’t nobody going to come to this podium and speak sh*t over here.”
The woman responded, saying: “You talking to me?”
Aoun answered: “I don’t give a f*ck who I’m talking to. You don’t like the prayer, shut your windows.”
(Editor’s note: Mayor Ghalib did not comment on Aoun’s demeanor.)
A Yemeni-American resident praised Police Chief Altaheri, saying: “We have never felt more connected to the police. We have never felt safer.”
(Altaheri is also a Yemeni-American.)
Aimon Islam said Hamtramck should be served by elected officials who are “so much better.”
He added the city “deserves competency. It deserves real leaders.”
Every week, Islam said, “It’s just another political episode, a political drama.”
A hearing was held, after public comment, to establish Neighborhood Enterprise Zones (NEZ) that allow tax breaks for property owners who build a new dwelling or make improvements to their houses.
The latest NEZ is located mostly in the southend. The council approved the additional zoning.
The city was also given the OK to upgrade the city’s income tax collection by allowing for electronic filing (also known as E-filing) for both Hamtramck and Highland Park.
(The city provides the service for Highland Park in exchange for the cost of the service.)
The cost for Hamtramck will be $25,750, and the cost for Highland Park is $12,800.
During the mayor’s report, he welcomed the number of candidates seeking office in the primary election by saying that there are “too many, which is good.”
Mayor Ghalib noted that he recently met with officials in the White House, where he advocated for monies to be directed to Hamtramck for various projects.
As for the purpose of serving in public office, Ghalib said that “We are all here to serve. … We are not here to destroy each other.”
Posted May 16, 2025