City Council candidates talk about why voters should support them

By Charles Sercombe
Hamtramck has just one local public office election this year.
And the first phase of the election season is just a couple of months away.
City Councilmembers Mohammed Alsomiri, Mohammed Hassan and Nayeem Choudhury are facing challengers Lynn Blasey, Muhtasin Sadman, Nasr Hussain, Ruhel Amin, Sari Ahmed, and Yousef Saed.
Blasey, who has sought a seat on council before, is the only woman in the field of candidates.
Hussain has been a frequent critic of city officials, and is a former member of the Hamtramck Public School District Board of Education.
All candidates, except for Blasey, paid a $100 filing fee instead of submitting nominating petitions with the signatures of registered Hamtramck voters.
The terms are four years each.
The number of candidates running will require a primary election on Aug. 8, where the field gets reduced to six candidates who will then faceoff in November to fill the three positions.
Several weeks ago, The Review emailed questions to each candidate, to give them a chance to talk about their background and why voters should support them.
Only three candidates responded, and here they are, in their own words:

Lynn Blasey

Review: What is your background (employment, education)?
Blasey: I have a BA in History from MSU with a focus on the Middle East, and studied Arabic, History, and Islamic Art & Architecture at the American University in Cairo, Egypt in 2004.
From 2006-2008, I served as an AmeriCorps volunteer in the Education Department of the Arab American National Museum, giving museum tours, facilitating cultural competency workshops, and developing their arts/crafts and other programs.
In that position, I built bridges toward mutual understanding and respect between museum visitors and the ArabAmerican community.
Since 2008, I’ve worked in the Community Arts Partnerships office of the College for Creative Studies. As Program Manager, I manage all the administrative day-to-day activities that make it possible for us to provide free art & design classes to 4,000+ area kids each year.
In addition to my core position, I’ve served on several sub-committees and projects including strategic planning, employee awards/recognition, DEI Advisory Board, and was a professor from 2017-2019.
This role has given me the ability to connect in meaningful ways with funders, community organizations, parents, and students in the area to uplift the role of the arts in individual, family, and community development.

Review: What qualifies you for office?
Blasey: I’ve been a resident of Hamtramck for over a decade, and serve the community in many ways.
I’m vice-chair of the Hamtramck Arts & Culture Commission, founding member and chair of the Hamtramck Area Disaster Recovery Group, steward of the planter boxes along Campau between Holbrook &Caniff, serve on the Organization & Promotions sub-committee of the DDA, am an active member of Hamtramck Mutual Aid, organize and volunteer with community cleanups, and more.
I regularly attend city council meetings and actively engage the community around topics that they’re interested in that come before the council.
At council meetings, I ask questions for clarity on agenda items and share perspectives and concerns from the community. I have also built positive working relationships with our city, county, state, and federal elected officials and many of our Hamtramck city employees.

Review: What are some key issues you would like to address when in office?
Blasey: Historically, turnover has created many challenges within city hall and I will prioritize ensuring that we’re providing competitive salaries and benefits packages to all of our city employees.
This will allow us greater ability to run more efficiently as a city for everyday business, increase our revenue, and allow for more consistent application/oversight of grants that allow us to work on infrastructure improvement and other projects above and beyond what our other revenue streams can support.
I will also continue the work that was started to review and update our city ordinances to eliminate outdated and confusing language, in order to make our local laws clear and easier to understand, obey, and enforce. I will make informed decisions that reflect the immediate and long term goals and priorities outlined in our city’s Master Plan and reach out to, listen to, and advocate on behalf of all residents of our city.

Review: Why should voters support you?
Blasey: I am already actively engaged throughout Hamtramck, and will use my position on city council to make informed decisions that will bring Hamtramck into our next phase of development.

Nayeem Choudhury

Choudhury: I am Nayeem Leon Choudhury who has been a resident of the city of Hamtramck since my high school days. I have spent my childhood to my adulthood in this town.
I completed my high school and associate degree in my home state Michigan. After that I started running my businesses. I work in Hamtramck as a certified insurance agent of renowned auto and home insurance carriers.
Besides that I have been preparing tax files for people not only from Hamtramck but also all over from Michigan. I am also a humanitarian and work for the betterment of my community.
I find myself qualified for the office because I have experience of working as a counselor already. I can deal with people from multi diverse communities, listen to their problems and bring up resolutions to solve their issues. I believe in taking action.
So far, I worked to turn many resolutions into reality and one of them was building a safe and clean city and I have proposed many proposals to ensure the safety of residents. I brought forward a resolution for easy parking drive thru and building a garage. City budget balancing and substantiating financial crisis.
I proposed a 10-years plan to fix flooding in Hamtramck, We are also working to reduce the number of collisions in the streets of Hamtramck that’s why I supported speed humps.
Voters should support me as I consider myself as one of them and I believe if we work together then this small city can be exemplary in front of other cities.

Muhtasin Sadman

Review: What is your background (employment, education)?
Sadman: I came to this country when I was teenager at the age of 15 with my parents. I went to Hamtramck High School. Completed my bachelor degree from University of Michigan—-Dearborn. Currently I’m pursuing a law degree. I am working as real estate agent for last 3 years now I’m associate broker with AMIN REALTY, also mortgage broker with SNS HOME LOAN.
When I was in high school, I worked at local restaurant in Hamtramck called Kabob House and Mouchak Sweets.

Review: What qualifies you for office?
Sadman: I believe running for office is a fundamental right of every citizen of this country. And from my educational background and professional experience I am confident that I am qualified for office.
I grew up in Hamtramck. Went to Hamtramck High School. Living in this city for around nine years. When I first came to this country in 2014, I started living in Hamtramck. I grew up in this community. I first started working on my American dream in this community. And now, I think it’s time to give back to the community. I want my people in this community to make their American dream true.
Review: What are some key issues you would like to address when in office?

Sadman: There are many issues that I want to address when I am in office. But main issues that I want to focus first from getting feedback from community is: Grow small businesses, taking initiatives to lower property taxes, making Hamtramck more safe and cleans, developing Hamtramck downtown to attract more visitors.

Review: Why should voters support you?
Sadman: I confidently think I’m qualified among all. Hamtramck needs a young and energetic leader to be their voice. Hamtramck needs young leadership. A leader who Believes in American dream. A leader who have vision for a new Hamtramck and who wants to make the change and bring Hamtramck move forward.
Posted June 9, 2023