DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Mayoral Candidate Janet Badalow says that it’s time for a change in the City of Dearborn Heights. After serving for 12 years on the city council, Badalow now has her eye on the mayoral position in this year’s election, hoping to defeat longtime incumbent Mayor Daniel Paletko. 

Badalow has deep roots in her city. She has been a resident since 1978, growing up on the north end of town, while pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree from Lawrence Technological University and her M.B.A. in Finance from Wayne State University. Her brother, who works for the Dearborn Heights Fire Department, initially encouraged her to seek a position on the City Council.

Now, as she approaches a 12-year tenure on the Council, Badalow has decided to campaign for mayor and address some issues that have arisen in the last couple of years. During our interview with her, she pointed out some City budgeting issues that she believes may have contributed to the City’s current deficit. 

As the current Chair Pro-Tem of the Council, she says she’s rejected budgeting proposals for three years in a row, citing overstatements in revenues, but hasn’t had enough support, or backing to put a stop to it. 

“I didn’t vote for the City budget three years in a row, because I’m still unsatisfied with some of the negotiations and salaries. The City is $5.7 million in deficit, and when you overstate your revenues, you are left with not so much to cut the bills,” Badalow says. 

Even with her seat on the Council, Badalow says it became hard for her to have input on certain negotiations. She cites a recent contract negotiation with the Police Department as an example. The negotiation was initially voted down by the Council, but then went to arbitration and was approved anyways, disregarding the council’s concerns and suggestions.  

Dearborn Heights Mayoral candidate Janet Badalow.

“The mayor is the one that proposes the budget.  He’s supposed to be the predominant person on the negotiation team. As mayor, it’s important to look at how things are prioritized, how money is spent, what assets need to be allocated, and so on. Sometimes there are big decisions, so the mayor has quite a bit to do with how the City runs,” Badalow says.

Standard & Poors, a well-known rating company to investors worldwide, recently did an analysis on the City, and Badalow says their six page report concerns her.  The company provided information on the City’s credit ratings, indices, investment research and risk evaluations. In their report on Dearborn Heights, the company states, “we believe the City’s finances significantly weakened due to management, overly optimistic budget assumptions and prior failures to make expenditure adjustments.”

Badalow says, despite the financial struggles in the City, she’s glad to see the business-end turn into a diverse environment.  She says, as mayor, she would welcome even more Arab-owned businesses into the City and would show gratitude and respect toward business owners who are helping the local economy. 

“Arab Americans have done a lot to add to our business community. They’ve offered some interesting choices, not just to the Arab community, but for everyone. I want to bring back respect for residents, employees and the business community. I feel we’ve lost some of that. We don’t value them as much as we should and those people are the ones footing the bill, so we should have the ultimate respect for them,” Badalow said.

When asked about the dispute with HYPE Athletics, a community recreational center on Warren Avenue that has been at odds with the City regarding tax exemptions, she said she couldn’t comment on the topic, because it is currently a pending matter. She did, however, add that she has “a lot of ideas” with regards to the center that she would like to eventually address in the future.

She also acknowledged some of the struggles that face the school district and the police and fire departments. She recently met with the Dearborn Heights Community Organization (DHCO), a newly formed group, led by local Arab Americans who focus on improving the quality of life in the City, to discuss some issues of concern to them, including halal food in school cafeterias. She says, as a vegetarian for 22 years, she can relate to such requests.  

“People have dietary needs, and you should definitely try to meet those needs. We hear that it’s finally happening and that’s great, because we want to be more inclusive,” Badalow says. 

As she continues to campaign, Badalow will push the idea of change for residents who may want some new energy in the mayor’s office. 

“I really hope people are willing to make a change, because I have a vision for this City and everyone in it. We could make some changes if I was mayor. I want to get us into the 21st century with technology, and make things easier for residents who want access to information and services.  I want to ensure that City employees are actually doing these things for residents,” Badalow says. 

Badalow will be holding a campaign fundraising event on Wednesday, May 8 at 5:30 p.m. at Stefan’s Banquet Hall on 23900 West Warren Avenue in Dearborn Heights. The event is open to the public. 

For more information on Badalow, visit her website at www.badalow.com, or her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/councilwomanjanet.badalow.