Bill Bazzi, Marine Vet, Becomes Dearborn Heights First Muslim Mayor
Marines, stationed at the Army’s Presidio of Monterey, prepare to go on their annual beach run to celebrate the Marines Corps birthday. (U.S. Marine Corps/Joseph Kumzak)
30 Jan 2021
An immigrant from Lebanon who served in the U.S. Marines has become the new mayor of Dearborn Heights, the first Arab-American and first Muslim to lead the city that has become increasingly diverse and politically divided.
The Dearborn Heights City Council voted 4 to 3 to select Bill Bazzi, 57, a city councilman since 2018, to be mayor during its Tuesday night meeting.
An immigrant from Lebanon who served in the U.S. Marines has become the new mayor of Dearborn Heights, the first Arab-American and first Muslim to lead the city that has become increasingly diverse and politically divided.
During its Tuesday night meeting, the Dearborn Heights City Council voted 4-to-3 to select Bill Bazzi, 57, a city councilman since 2018, to be mayor.
The city s former mayor, Dan Paletko, died last month at 70 after testing positive for the coronavirus. Bazzi, an engineer at Ford Motor Co. for more than 20 years, will serve the remainder of Paletko s four-year term, which ends in January; there will be a November election for mayor and City Council seats.