City Hall Insider … 6/23/26

By Charles Sercombe
The city council met on June 23, and all councilmembers were in attendance.
Mayor Adam Alharbi began the meeting by apologizing for the conduct of city councilmembers during a prior meeting, which had gone on for five hours and had featured a number of outbursts from several of the councilmembers present.
“My plea and my goals remain the same: to look into issues that concern our residents,” Alharbi said.
He said the council should not be here to argue, “or argue with anyone.”
During public comment, former Hamtramck police investigator David Adamczyk served the council and mayor legal papers regarding a federal lawsuit filed by former Hamtramck police officer Scott Budnick.
It was not specified what the lawsuit alleges.
A resident took issue with the behavior of councilmembers during the previous meeting, calling it “misbehavior.” He also said City Attorney Odey Meroueh lacks the “professionalism, impartiality and integrity that the public expects from a legal advisor to the city.”
Bill Meyer said that there were “endless violations” of council rules, and also laws, during the last meeting.
Naji Choudhury said it’s the council’s job to “make sure the city is developing.”
Mark Koroi, an attorney, said that he is taking legal action to be included as a candidate in this November’s election, to run for the Hamtramck 31st District Court judgeship.
He criticized The Review newspaper for not contacting him for updates on his legal challenge.
(As of press time, Koroi has not been allowed to be on the ballot because the state says he was not a legal resident of Hamtramck at the time he filed to be a candidate.)
Koroi also said there is hope for peace in Gaza, and that “it looks like it’s heading in that direction.”
(Israel has not stopped its military action in the Mideast and Gaza.)
Ahmed Sharaf Aldeen, an independent journalist, cautioned the mayor and council from allowing leaders in mosques to influence them in their decision making.
“I do have the evidence that the mosques get involved in our politics,” Aldeen said. “I do have evidence that the meetings run through the mosque.”
Aldeen warned that, unless the council and mayor stop this, he will “leak” his evidence to the public.
“We’ll tell the American people that we came with the dirt,” he said.
In an email, a person said that Councilmember Mohammed Hassan has “betrayed the trust” of the public.
“Time for you to be ashamed of yourself, (Hassan),” the person said.
Mayor Alharbi responded to the accusation that he and the council take direction from leaders in mosques, saying “that information is not true.”
Councilmember Hassan said that, despite councilmembers arguing: “We are one team. One Hamtramck. One community.”
Councilmember Nayeem Choudhury also denied that mosques have influence on council decisions.
“We make our decisions individually,” Choudhury said. “I actually make my own decisions individually, and sometimes we meet in the council or city hall because we have business to do.”
In the council’s consent agenda, former councilmember Muhith Mahmood submitted a site plan for an empty lot at 12133 Fleming to be development into a three-story, 5,000 square-foot house.
It was approved.
During a public hearing to update the city’s tree and shrub maintenance ordinance, journalist Aldeen complained about the city’s aggressive code enforcement and issuing of tickets.
The proposed update on the ordinance would increase some fines from $500 to $1,000 for violations.
The council agreed to accept a $38,000 Wayne County grant to purchase and install flower planter boxes and benches throughout the city.
In a note to the council and mayor, it was said the inclusion of planters and benches will “serve as an enhancement to suitable living for all residents and business owners in proximity.”
In another action, the council approved accepting a $20,000 grant from the county’s Community Development Block Grant program.
Some $15,000 of the funding will be used to give code enforcement employees a pay raise, and the remaining $5,000 will be used to purchase new tools and equipment for the city’s “Every Neighbor Program.”
In another round of public comment, attorney Mark Koroi said councilmembers need to remain “calm” in order to avoid media attention. He thanked councilmembers “for acting a lot more discreet” during this meeting.
Bill Meyer questioned councilmembers who call for “suspending the rules” during a meeting in order to propose including an item not already in the meeting agenda.
He said that suspending the rules is “vague.”
“When you suspend the rules – all the rules, or just the one about removing someone from office? What rules are you suspending? Every time you use it, it’s an abuse,” Meyer said.
Meyer said that Hamtramck “is one of the greatest cities in the country. I’ve been traveling the country … and I’m glad I live in Hamtramck. There’s nothing like it.”
Mayor Alharbi re-emphasized that mosques have no influence on decision-making by him or the council.
“There is no religion in this,” Alharbi said. “Hamtramck is a very diverse town. (It) consists of many religions, ethnicities, colors, backgrounds. And we are here to serve everyone equally – every resident. As long as you live in Hamtramck, we will serve you equally.”
Councilmember Hassan said that he is on council as a “human – not a Muslim. First of all, we are councilmen and we are elected for everybody.”
He said the media expects to see councilmembers shouting at each other, but instead, tonight’s meeting showed that councilmembers are “talking to each other respectfully, and as family. That is the way we are smart.”
Councilmember Abu Musa said that President Trump will “bring the whole world in the peace, especially Palestine, Iran, Gaza and all other places.”
What is our City Council up to these days? We have the highlights of the latest council meeting.
Posted Aug. 24, 2026