DEARBORN — As a resident of Dearborn for nearly 40 years, Saeid Alawathi has decided to put his name on the ballot for one of the seven City Council seats up for election.

Alawathi is a Yemeni immigrant who grew up in the Southend of the city before graduating from Fordson High School and later completing his associate degree in business administration and an associate degree in accounting. He is married and has five daughters.

“My campaign is about serving the Dearborn community,” he said. “Serving others has been a lifelong passion for me and I am looking forward to taking this passion to the City Council. I want to help my community solve issues within our city, as I have served my community for a very long time in different capacities, such as being a precinct delegate for six years, traffic commissioner for eight years and several nonprofit committees, including leadership, political and faith-based organizations, and now the time has come for me to serve them and represent them as a City Council member.”

While Alawathi has worked in income tax preparation for the last 20 years, he is currently working at ACCESS, one of the largest services organizations in the city, as a business employment service specialist.

“Dearborn is my home,” he said. “Each and every resident is my family. I have served this community with blood, sweat and tears for countless years. I have always been where I’m needed the most. If I was needed on a board to help organize political efforts, I was there. When the community was in need of individuals who could help those in need during this unprecedented pandemic, I coordinated over 15,000 tests, put together weekly food drives with different food banks and distribution organizations and recently organized hundreds of people to get vaccinated. I have always been there for my community. With the struggles of the pandemic, and this vital point in history we find ourselves in, my community needs someone who cares, someone with a plan and someone who can get things done on City Council. Thus, once again, I am here. I will always be there when my community needs me most, and now my community needs me on the City Council.”

Alawathi said he decided to run because he wants to serve the city that raised him and the city that helped him raise his own family.

“I am looking forward to listening to all residents’ concerns and aspirations,” he said. “Through my experiences, I have seen the importance of having a city government that dedicates itself to serving its residents and taking their concerns seriously. We need a city government that is responsive and proactive in addressing residents’ concerns and I want to be part of a Council that makes this a reality.”

Alawathi said that as a member of City Council, he would represent the community’s interest on the most pertinent issues impacting the community.

“This includes improving city services, improving public safety and managing city spending,” he said. “I believe that as a City Council we can work together with the city administration to make improvements in these three areas. Working together is integral to a healthy, functional and thriving city and I have a long track record of working with diverse groups to serve others, to be able to work with members of City Council, city administration and city staff members for the collective goal of serving the residents of Dearborn.”

As one of 19 people running for seven available City Council positions, Alawathi said the issues important to him are the same issues that are important to most residents, and that’s making sure the city is working efficiently and effectively to serve residents.

“The quality of life standards need to improve and the city needs to lead the way in improving the lives of its residents,” he said. “We pay one of the highest tax rates, so we deserve exceptional services, enhanced and affordable public safety. Transparency is also important and we need to listen to all residents when making decisions and incorporate their feedback into the Council policies. There are many important issues to discuss, but my top priorities are making sure our city provides great public services, maintains our public safety within our communities and ensures that funding is allocated to programs and services properly. Of course, there are other important items such as property taxes, business developments, recreation and utilities that will be addressed on behalf of the community.”