According to unofficial results from the Wayne County Clerk’s Office, 6,443 out of 11,974 voters rejected the charter amendment, which defines the powers, responsibilities and duties of local government and the City Council, as well as the authority granted to various administrative bodies, in addition to setting regulatory and legislative frameworks for democratic and electoral processes.

Dearborn voters had approved the formation of a charter revision commission in August 2021 before electing nine members that November to review the charter, which was last amended in 2007, and to propose necessary revisions in line with Michigan state laws and new regulatory and legislative developments.

The Charter Revision Commission had spent more than two years holding public meetings to hear residents’ opinions on which regulatory and legislative articles should be abolished, revised or updated, as well as incorporating new articles that meet the diverse population’s aspirations.

The proposed revisions received the approval of Gretchen Whitmer after receiving the approval from the Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office ensuring that the revised Charter is compliant and consistent with the Home Rule City Act, 1909 PA 279, MCL 117.1 et seq.

The revised Charter received the endorsement of Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, and all City Council members, along with many government institutions and local political and community organizations.

However, only 5,531 votes were cast in favor of the proposed revisions, with a low voter turnout of just 18 percent across Dearborn, which has a population of about 105,000.

The Dearborn Police and Fire Departments strongly opposed the proposed charter revisions, which could be revised every 12 years. The amendments included eliminating the minimum staffing levels for both departments and removing all related provisions in the Dearborn Charter. Dearborn is the only city whose law still mandates a minimum staffing level for public safety positions in Michigan, which passed a law in 2011 prohibiting minimum staffing levels for police and fire departments in the state’s cities, towns and counties.

In addition to eliminating the minimum staffing levels for police and fire departments, the proposed revisions in Tuesday’s referendum included revising articles related to the formation of various multi-tasked boards and committees to ensure diversity and inclusiveness, amending provisions related to ensuring and enhancing transparency to protect retirees’ healthcare benefits, creating a new framework for the purposes and responsibilities of the Ethics Board and strengthening the Civil Service Commission to ensure fair employment practices for all employees.

Dearborn residents will have to wait nine years to have another opportunity to amend the city charter. Hassan Abdallah, chair of the current Charter Revision Commission, said that the nine elected members cannot return and submit another proposal, explaining that Dearborn residents must wait until 2033 to elect a new commission to consider updating the charter.

Abdallah said that residents could seek to amend a single article in the charter through a popular petition or an initiative from the City Council.

Late Tuesday night he expressed his pride in the accuracy and integrity of the commission members during the charter review. He noted in a statement, “the knowledge and insights we gained during this endeavor, which were far from futile.”