DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Kathy Abdel-Hak, Ned Apigan, and Robert Yahrmatter will be on the ballot in the August 3 primary for the Dearborn Heights city council seat currently held by Roy Pilot. The election will narrow down the race to two candidates for the city’s general election in November.

Pilot was appointed to the seat after the resignation of councilman Bob Brown in July of 2010. He will not be running for the right to keep his seat, however.

Apigan is a licensed architect for the state of Michigan. Currently a resident of Dearborn Heights, he plans on removing the cost of benefits for part-time councilmen from taxpayers, stoping the flooding, and really looking at the increases in salaries before implementing them. He says he would bring a special background to the office that others couldn’t, particularly when it comes to solving the flooding problem.

“What are cities made of?” Apigan asked. “Cities are full of buildings, streets, sewers, and waterlines. I have planned and designed a  town in Saudi Arabia and worked on convention centers. These all involve how cities function and work. There are decisions made on zoning and planning.”

Yahrmatter, 46, is a teacher at Henry Ford Community College. He says he is running because he sees problems in the city and believes he can bring a new perspective. He wants to be proactive about solving these problems.

Abdel-Hak, 46, is a business owner in Dearborn Heights. She and her husband own N.J. Diamonds in the city. Abdel-Hak says she has attended every city council session and budget meeting for the past year to get an understanding of how the city is operated. She considers herself not a politician, but a resident of Dearborn Heights running for the chance to tackle problems from a citizen’s perspective.. She wants to focus on getting residents more informed and involved in how things are done, while solving the city’s flooding problems and enforcing property management

The election will take place Tuesday, August 3 and polls will open at 7 a.m.

Kathy Abdel-Hak:

She has attended every city council session and budget meeting for the past year to get an understanding of how the city is operated.

Ned Apigian:

He says he would bring a special background to the office that others couldn’t, particularly when it comes to solving the flooding problem.

Robert Yahrmatter:

He sees problems in the city and believes he can bring a new perspective. He wants to be proactive about solving these problems.