Dearborn,Michigan uses Web to draw residents

The Detroit News reports:

Call it betting money on the house.

Michigan's moribund real estate market has Dearborn gambling $300,000 in taxpayer money to recruit residents to the city of 100,000. Spurred by a record year of foreclosures, the city government is taking the unusual step of launching a Web site and marketing blitz this month to attract new residents.

That's a role usually filled by chambers of commerce or real estate bureaus, but new Mayor John "Jack" O'Reilly said the drastic economy calls for a bigger, untraditional bully pulpit to ballyhoo the city's services, schools and development projects and link home buyers to properties.


"We want to say if you haven't considered Dearborn, you're not working in your best interest," said O'Reilly, who made the site a top priority since taking office this year.

Many residents don't dispute the sentiment, but some question whether taxpayers should foot the bill -- especially when the city's finances are murky. Dearborn has cut 133 jobs in the past six years and used $4.5 million in reserves to balance last year's budget.

"Is it good to promote Dearborn? Yes, but I'm sure there are other ways of doing it without costing us money," said resident Paul Kasper, 50, who has lived in the city since 1961.

"They need to take care of the city. I'm against spending any money except on operating costs. Right now, the economy is so bad, and there is nobody buying homes."

Good luck.