Opinion … A question for candidates: Are you actually a resident?

This election season is already off and running.
So far, at least a half dozen or so people – all men – have announced their intention to run for mayor.
Most of these folks are unknowns, and have never even served on city council. It always amazes us that so many people want to shoot for the job of mayor without first working their way up the ladder by volunteering to serve on commissions, and then seeking a seat on city council in order to gain experience and knowledge on what makes the city function.
It’s not a job for amateurs — or at least, shouldn’t be.
What particularly disturbs us is the recent trend of people seeking office here who are actually, despite their claims, not residents.
In fact, there is a similar ongoing suspicion about certain members of the current  city council.
It’s to the point where City Clerk Rana Faraj has posted the requirements to run for public office on social media. It can’t be emphasized enough that you have to be a resident here for at least one year prior to filing to run for office.
It baffles us that so many people who seek office have a history of living in Warren, Sterling Heights or even right outside Hamtramck’s borders in Detroit.
Why Hamtramck?
Is Hamtramck some sort of a political playground for these pretenders?
And why is it that mostly men seek their political fortune here? Where are the female candidates?
Come on, Hamtramck, don’t let carpet baggers make a mockery of the city.
And, for those who think they can fake their residences here, remember that perjury is a felony.
Posted March 28, 2025