DEARBORN – On Wednesday, February 26, Mayor Jack O’Reilly held his State of the City address at City Hall, where he summarized previous accomplishments and outlined future goals. 

Those in attendance included Dearborn City Council President Susan Dabaja, Councilman Mike Sareini, Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad, Dearborn Chief Judge Sam Salamey, Henry Ford Community College President Stan Jensen and Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Brian Whiston. 

The event began with a tribute honoring  Nancy Hubbard, who served 24 years on Dearborn’s City Council before recently retiring. Hubbard was never a stranger to public office. She followed the footsteps of her late father, Orville Hubbard, who served as the Mayor of Dearborn from 1942 to 1978. 

Hubbard told the crowd of attendees that when she began public office, she didn’t have a college degree or any previous experience. However, she says she applied all the knowledge she had learned from watching her father as mayor and that was what led her to a successful stint as a councilwoman. 

“I knew there was no better background than learning the art of serving people from Orville Hubbard. My dad knew what people wanted and more importantly he knew how to give them what they wanted. That’s why the standards of excellence he set still remains the standards to strive for today,” Hubbard said.

Hubbard also received honors from Congressman John Dingell, who couldn’t be in attendance, but his wife Deborah was there to deliver a liberty eagle pin as a gift to Hubbard. The pin is also worn by other influential women like Hilary Clinton and Cindy McCain.

O’Reilly started his address by thanking the city’s Department of Public Works for delivering top services in what has been the worst winter the city has seen in decades. O’Reilly says that on average, the DPW is pouring 50 pounds of cold patch on a weekly basis to cover up pot holes on main roads.

In his address, the mayor highlighted what many may consider to be the most important news. Serious crime in the city was down 9.5 percent in 2013. Since 2008, that number has shrunk by 30 percent. The feat is all the more remarkable considering the city borders Detroit, which up until 2013, had seen a spike in serious crimes.

Recently, the city was named a Five-Star Community for Economic Development by the University of Michigan iLabs project. 

Other feats the mayor highlighted from 2013 included a successful merger with the Melvindale Fire Department  and the success of the city’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which has recently added 12 Habitat for Humanity homes. 

The mayor quickly turned his attention to the city’s future. O’Reilly stated that in order for Dearborn to produce positive outcomes, its residents must align under one vision for the city. Several financial challenges lie ahead and numerous changes need to be made in order to adapt to a modern climate, he added.

“The process starts with an analysis of our current assets, liabilities, challenges and opportunities. This needs to be a frank appraisal that is realistic and comprehensive. If we’re going to be successful, we must accept the current reality of our liabilities and challenges even though we may wish they weren’t true,” O’Reilly stated.

O’Reilly says the city is able to continue to offer top quality services due to a temporary millage approved by voters two years ago, which is set to expire in 2017. It has allowed the city to continue to deliver top snow plowing operations, police equipment, athletic programs and the latest technology.

In recent years the city has also reduced staffing by 25 to 30 percent in many departments, according to the mayor. Their top objective was to make sure that the cuts didn’t negatively impact services across the city.

“By virtue of all the changes made in these areas, we estimate that we are saving nearly $18 million every year. If we had not been proactive and made these difficult changes year after year, we would be in a much different circumstance now and especially when the temporary millage sunsets,” O’Reilly added. 

O’Reilly also addressed the controversial selling of City Hall last year. The city is set to move into the Dearborn Administrative Center later this year and estimates it will save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually by doing so. 

In the future, residents can also look forward to the developing rail station on Michigan Ave., which is expected to bring more traffic and revenue into city hotspots including Greenfield Village, Henry Ford Museum and the colleges on Evergreen Rd. 

O’Reilly ended his speech by stating that he is seeking the community’s input regarding the city’s future. He plans on forming a task force in order to help define a vision and roadmap for the city. Previously, he created a task force that included 30 prominent community leaders who helped create a five year plan for the city. 

“My personal goal is to put this city on a stronger financial footing than it is on today,” O’Reilly said. “We need to face reality with our eyes wide open. We will need to muster the courage to navigate from the comfort of a familiar course toward newly discovered paths. Together I know we can do this.”