Michael A. Guido was elected to the Dearborn City council at age 23. At the time, he was the youngest councilman in Dearborn History. Guido served 2 terms on the City council before being winning a contentious race for mayor against Marge Powell in 1985. In 1993, he became the first Dearborn mayor to run unopposed for reelection. On account of his popularity, he ran six times for Mayor, with no competition in two elections, including his final one in 2005.
Guido continued Dearborn’s tradition of excellent city services and recreational facilities. As mayor, he initiated development projects that revived downtown areas, including West Village, West Village Commons, and Georgetown Commons. He also helped spearhead the construction of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in 2001. Additionally, Guido implemented several programs, including curbside recycling and composting, loose leaf collection, and several public safety initiatives. Guido was known for traveling neighborhoods and business districts daily, stopping to talk with people. Guido was also respected for treating visitors to his office very well, with some remarking that his office was a “Halloween paradise” because of all the candy it contained.
Guido would serve as mayor for 21 years, before passing away from cancer in 2006. Even during his final year after his diagnosis, he continued to remain active and during 2006, he also served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors. He also held leadership spots with the National League of Cities over the years. Guido was quoted as saying that being Mayor of his hometown was the “greatest job and greatest honor in the whole world.” He also said that he wanted his epitaph to be, “He loved the people of Dearborn, and they loved him.”
Dearborn Historical Museum 