The DDA is governed by an eleven member board appointed by the Mayor and subject to the approval of the City Council. The Downtown Development Authority implements an improvement and business development plan in the commercial district along Ford Road and Wayne Road south of Ford Road. Regularly scheduled board meetings take place the fourth Thursday of every other month at 8:00 a.m. at City Hall and are open to the public.
Timothy Gilbert has been appointed to the Tax Increment Finance Authority/Economic Development Corporation (TIFA/EDC) for a four-year term that will expire on February 5, 2022. Gilbert is a Westland resident and business owner as he recently opened Koda Group, Inc. Gilbert served in the United States Marines and on the Detroit Police Department and is one of only four Board Certified Criminal Defense Investigators in the State of Michigan.
Scott Catallo has been reappointed to the TIFA/EDC to serve a four year term that will expire on January 22, 2022. Catallo is a long-time Westland resident and has served on the TIFA/EDC since 2012. He has also served on the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority since 2010. Catallo has extensive experience as an architect, designer and illustrator as the Principal Architect at Detroit based NORR Associates and Engineers.
The City of Westland TIFA/EDC Board is governed by a nine member board appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The purpose of the Tax Increment Finance Authority /EDC (TIFA) is to promote economic and business development through programs and public improvement projects that create economic opportunity, provide entrepreneurial support, and preserve property values. Regularly scheduled board meetings take place the second Tuesday of every other month at 8:00 a.m. at City Hall and are open to the public.
Robert Farsakian and David McMullen have both been reappointed to serve on the Local Development Finance Authority (LDFA) to serve four year terms that will expire on February 5, 2022. Farsakian has been a resident of Westland for 33 years and is the owner of Rock of Ages in Garden City. He has served on the LDFA since 2002. McMullen has lived in Westland for 28 years and has also served on the LDFA since 2002.
Westland's LDFA Board is governed by an eleven member board consisting of seven members who are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council. The remaining board seats consist of one member appointed by the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, one member representing a community or junior college whose district the authority is located within, and two members representing the school district. Regularly scheduled board meetings take place the third Friday of March, June, September and December each year at 9 AM at City Hall, 36300 Warren Rd. and are open to the public. The Authority's primary objective is to encourage local development to prevent conditions of unemployment and to promote economic growth.
Roderick Curry has recently stepped down from his position as Chairperson of the LDFA, which he served on for nearly 23 years, to accept an appointment to the Board of Review for a three year term which will expire on February 5, 2021. Curry has an extensive background in accounting and finance with 30 years of experience. He has lived in Westland for 25 years and has worked for Health Alliance Plan of Michigan for 20 years.
The Westland Board of Review reviews the annual assessment roll and hears appeals of real and personal property assessments. The board also corrects "clerical errors, mutual mistakes of fact, and homestead status" relative to the current and prior year's assessment rolls. The board currently has three members that are appointed by the Mayor and subject to confirmation by the City Council. The Board meets the first Tuesday of every March, the third Wednesday in July, and the second Tuesday in December. The meetings are held at Westland City Hall.
Arthur Warren has been appointed to a three year term to the Community Development Citizens Advisory Committee, which will expire January 25, 2021. Warren is a 42 year Westland resident who is also a member of the Southeast Homeowners Association, the Norwayne Citizens Council and is President of the Westland Democratic Club. He retired from Detroit Public Schools in 2010.
The Community Development Citizens Advisory Committee (CDCAC) is comprised of local organizations that express compassion for the community development needs and activities. Each CDCAC member organization selects one participant to attend meetings and assist in the advisory purpose of the committee. The committee also includes one mayoral at large appointment who works with selected members of the group organizations. The CDCAC provides community input as to the use of the City of Westland's Community Development Block Grant funds, received through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The committee meets in February, March, April and August and meetings are open to the public.
Meriem Kadi has been appointed to the Westland Housing Commission for a five year term that will expire on January 23, 2025. Kadi served on the Westland City Council for four years and served on the Planning Commission from 2003 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018. She was named Westland's "First Citizen of the Year" in 2009 and has served as President for the Friends of the Westland Public Library for 12 years. Kadi also has a background in real-estate with nearly 25 years of experience.
The Housing Commission is a five member board, appointed by Mayor to make policy and budgetary decisions regarding the Westland Housing Commission / Housing Voucher Program. Meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday, every month (January, March, May, July, September, November) at 5:30 p.m. at the Jefferson Barnes Community Vitality Center.
