DEARBORN — With all seven City Council seats up for grabs, Councilman Mike Sareini is one of 18 candidates and is hoping to retain his seat.

Sareini, 49, is a married father of five and a lifelong Dearborn resident. His mother, Suzanne Sareini, held the seat for 24 years before he decided to run the same year she announced she would not be seeking re-election.

“As a child growing up, my parents taught me the importance of public service,” he said. “I remember working very hard in 1985 when my mother ran for public office unsuccessfully and eventually winning in 1989, serving Dearborn for 24 years. I always knew I would follow by example and work in service for others.”

When Sareini was 34, he returned to school to complete his education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, then went on to attend law school on nights and weekends before graduating cum laude, while working full time and ranking third in the nation in sales for Ford.

“I have been a licensed attorney for eight years now,” he said. “My 25+ years of sales experience has taught me the people skills necessary to get the job done and my law degree affords me the knowledge necessary to make critical decisions.”

Sareini, who has served on the City Council for the past seven years,  said he believes he has made a profound impact on policies.

“This is a pivotal time in our city,” he said. “A new mayor will be elected this year, which will result in key changes to the administration. We have the opportunity to shape the direction of our city’s future. Now, more than ever, Dearborn needs leaders who will ask the tough questions and make decisions in the best interest of the city and its residents. I believe my dedicated leadership, experience and vision will be very valuable in shaping the city’s direction for the future.”

Sareini said that he is running for re-election to continue to build on his accomplishments and that he believes that while there is more work to do, he has more to give.

“I will continue to work hard to ensure accountability and transparency in our city government,” he said. “I will continue to ensure tax dollars are used effectively, efficiently and in line with our residents’ priorities and concerns. We can lower taxes by adapting more technology uses in the city, which will reduce personnel and make all business easier to do online.”

With the U.S. census being completed and Dearborn having lost 4.3 percent or nearly 5,000 residents, Sareini said that’s his top concern.

“The fact that we have lost population is a concern,” he said. “It means we must and can do better. To encourage residents to stay and attract new families to come to our city, we need to reduce our taxes and encourage improvement and investing in their properties. We can achieve this by adapting new technology to reduce personnel and help streamline our permitting and ordinances to today’s standards.”

Sareini said that he looks forward to being able to continue his work and service for the community he loves.

“I am a very passionate person that sets goals and achieves them,” he said. “Dearborn is a great place to live and raise a family. I know I can help keep it that way.”