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Mayor takes hands-on approach to fighting blight
Mayor Baydoun told FOX 2 his approach to accountability is to lead by example. So, he joined a team of city employees to address blight throughout Dearborn Heights.
DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Metro Detroit mayor is gaining attention for his approach to tackling blight in his city. Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun led a team of city workers as they went door to door handing out citations and compliments.
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Mayor Baydoun told FOX 2 his approach to accountability is to lead by example. So, he joined a team of city employees to address blight throughout Dearborn Heights.
The mayor was front and center in a video posted on the City of Dearborn Heights' social media pages. He says blight was one of the key issues he campaigned on while running for mayor. So when complaints about overgrown weeds, abandoned vehicles and neglected properties started coming in, he decided to take action personally.
Fines for ordinance violations can reach up to $300 for noncompliance. Baydoun says most property owners will receive a warning first, but repeat offenders will not. Some of those repeat offenders were featured in the city's video.
The mayor says the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Shortly after taking office, he sent a survey to Dearborn Heights residents asking what they wanted the city to focus on. The top three concerns were reckless driving, flooding and blight. Baydoun says he's just getting started.
"For too long we've been stagnant and accepting of having these slumlords who come in and take over our neighborhood," said Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun. "There is no more of that. I'm working on something that we can't talk about publicly to be able to hold some of these investors who are allowing these homes to get rundown. How do we hold them accountable even if you are out of state?"
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The mayor says every Tuesday and Thursday, police officers are working overtime to crack down on drivers speeding through neighborhoods and running stop signs.
He's also sending street sweepers out ahead of rainstorms in an effort to reduce flooding issues.
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