HAMTRAMCK –  On Tuesday, Hamtramck voters approved a referendum to renew the property tax dedicated to funding public schools in the city for 10 years. This decision came as the number of Arab American members on the local school board decreased, with the current board president, Yemeni American Jihan Aiyash, losing her bid for one of the two six-year seats.

According to election results, Aiyash finished third with a total of 1,677 votes, making her the first runner-up. The race was led by Yemeni American Mohamed Abdo Algehaim, who received 2,151 votes, followed by Polish American candidate Linda Wolyniec with 1,735 votes. Three other candidates received votes ranging from 1,450 to 850.

Currently, the Hamtramck School Board includes four Arab American members: Aiyash, Salah Hadwan (who chose not to run for re-election), Moortadha Obaid and Abdulmalik Algahaim. The other members are Reagan Watson, Daz’Shavon Hall and Victor Farris.

Additionally, a large majority of voters supported a proposal to replace the current property tax used to fund the Hamtramck School District’s eight schools with an 18-mill property tax (one mill equals one-thousandth of a property’s taxable value) for a 10-year period, ending in 2034.

A total of 3,469 voters (66.5 percent) approved this measure, which is expected to generate more than $2.7 million annually to fund Hamtramck Public Schools. The tax will apply to industrial, commercial and rental properties, while owner-occupied homes and tax-exempt properties are exempt.