Detroit Mayor-elect Dave Bing met with Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. on Thursday and prepared to meet with the city’s top financial officials, beginning his transition into office, after upsetting Cockrel in Tuesday’s special election to complete the term of former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who resigned in September.

Detroit Mayor-elect Dave Bing speaks in his office in Detroit, Michigan February 13. The former Detroit Pistons star and businessman upset interim mayor Ken Cockrel Jr. in a special election on May 5 and is expected to be sworn in next week as mayor of America’s 11th largest city. Photo taken February 13, 2009. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

On Wednesday, Bing announced the names of the leaders of his Crisis Turnaround Management Team to overhaul the city’s troubled government. The team is to assist him for 100 days, focusing on finances and the budget, labor law, contracting, federal stimulus money and human resources. He identified three volunteer co-chairs from the business and professional worlds — Denise Ilitch, former deputy mayor Freman Hendrix and Ford Motor Company retiree Joe Walsh — to lead a team of 31 advisers.
Bing, 65, received 48,951 votes to Cockrel’s 44,703 on Tuesday — a win of 52 percent to 48 percent. Only 15 percent of registered voters cast ballots.

A former NBA great, Bing pulled off the victory by sweeping undecided voters, overcoming a deficit in the polls, according to analysts.

He received late endorsements from former deputy mayor Freman Hendrix and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who spoke Sunday at the Detroit NAACP annual dinner.

“What we will bring to this government is efficiency, transparency, honesty and integrity back to the mayor’s office,” Bing said after results came in Tuesday night. “We will make sure that our neighborhoods are safe. We will start immediately to make sure our kids get the best education they can possibly get.”

He said Thursday he is close to choosing a deputy mayor and chief of staff, but would not announce them until after he is sworn in, which is expected some time next week.

Cockrel will return to his post as president of the Detroit City Council. He must decide by Tuesday whether to run for mayor or council in the August primary.

Longtime Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel, meanwhile, announced Thursday she will not run for re-election.

Heights Arab American falls 38 votes short of school board

In Dearborn Heights school board elections, Arab American Wanda Saad came within 38 votes of ousting incumbent Ron Panetta in the Crestwood district.

But both Panetta and incumbent Ed Garcia held on to their seats with strong support from absentee voters. They’ll each return to the board for six-year terms.

Panetta garnered 28 percent of the vote, while Garcia and Saad each earned just over 26 percent. Panetta received 1,481 votes, Garcia 1,402, Saad 1,364. Challenger Zenna Elhasan came in fourth with 907 votes, about 18 percent.

In the smaller Westwood school district, incumbent Luisa Donfried was ousted by Kevin King.

Westwood candidates receive votes from both Dearborn Heights and Inkster residents.

Inkster voters pushed King past Donfried, while incumbent Gregory Stephen garnered the most votes, keeping his seat with 186.

King received 166 votes. Donfried 151. Challengers Willie Smith and Mario Fundarski received 146 and 115, respectively.

Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, center, turns in his petitions to run for re-election to City Clerk Kathy Buda, right, on Monday, alongside supporters state Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman, U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr. and Wayne County Commissioner Gary Woronchak, on Monday, May 4. PHOTO: Lori Rodriguez

Dearborn candidates prepare for fall elections
Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly turned in his petitions Monday to run for his first full term in office.

Petitions have also been pulled, but not yet turned-in, for Ziad Abdul Malik, Michael J. Prus, Hassan Cheaib, Joseph Agius and City Council member Doug Thomas.

O’Reilly took office following former mayor Michael Guido’s death in 2006. He was elected to a partial term in February 2007 with more than 90 percent of the vote.

Petitions to run for mayor, city council and the city clerk’s position are due by 4 p.m. May 12. At least 100 signatures from registered Dearborn voters must be turned in to qualify to run.

The primary is Aug. 4 and the general election is Nov. 3.

For city council elections, current council members George Darany, Nancy A. Hubbard, Brian C. O’Donnell, Mark C. Shooshanian, Thomas P. Tafelski, Suzanne Sareini, and Robert Abraham have pulled petitions to run, along with residents David W. Bazzy, Mark J. Dawdy, Scott J. Marquette, Maureen A. McIlrad-Noland, Mark A. Otlewski, Adrenne M. Wygonik, Sharon Dulmage, Vincent Laing, Bradley Hajec, Michael Berry, Khalil Dakhlalla, Andrew Giordano, Raymond T. Trudeau, Trinette L. Jordan, Ali Sayed, Kristyn Taylor, Doug Thomas, Rabih Hammoud, Stephen S. Dobkowski Jr., Molly K. Sharp, Hussein M. Sobh, Joseph Agius, Nancy Sewick and George Hart.

Current City Clerk Kathy Buda and former clerk John Jay Hubbard have filed for that position.