West Bloomfield Candidates Make Their Case

Jonathan Landsman and Omar Kallabat

Frustrated by township policies and processes, Landsman and Kallabat are stepping forward

By Crystal Kassab, Ed.D.

It has been said that owning a home is the ultimate American Dream. But for many West Bloomfield residents lately, that dream has become a nightmare.

“If there is one more thing Chaldeans value besides God and family, it is the home. It’s where you raise your kids and host your relatives and friends,” said Omar Kallabat, a 31-year-old resident of West Bloomfield. “The home is sacred.”

Kallabat has lived in West Bloomfield for most of his life. He attended Doherty Elementary, Orchard Lake Middle School, and West Bloomfield High School before graduating from Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Preparatory in 2013.

Over the years, he began hearing complaints from friends, relatives, and neighbors about the township’s permit process and local ordinances. As he looked deeper into the issue, he learned that some families were living in unfinished homes while businesses and property owners faced delays and uncertainty due to a lack of clear guidance from township officials. Despite the township’s large Chaldean population, only one Chaldean currently serves on the Board of Trustees.

“We’re living in a township that worships ordinances over the residents,” claimed Kallabat. “You cannot worship the wetlands over the people. Without the residents, none of the beauty of West Bloomfield matters.”

Kallabat is running for township trustee on a platform of improving the permitting process and holding township officials accountable for delays that have cost residents and business owners both time and money.

This includes St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church, whose grotto project faced several delays, and Shenandoah Country Club, which because of the permitting process, took two years to fix drainage problems on the golf course. However, Kallabat emphasizes that these concerns extend beyond the Chaldean community.

The Main family spent two years seeking a fence permit to protect their son, who has autism and is prone to running away. Rather than directly deny the request, the township effectively blocked the fence by enforcing strict environmental wetlands ordinances and citing unpermitted additions on the property. According to the family, a township environmental manager suggested they build a “temporary dog enclosure” to contain their disabled son instead of erecting a standard backyard fence. The dispute escalated into a federal lawsuit filed two months ago. The suit alleges that the township’s rigid enforcement of its ordinance violated the family’s due process rights and their right to reasonable accommodation.

“The permit process is downright disrespectful to the hard-working professionals who live in West Bloomfield,” Kallabat said. “People deserve respect, and the township needs to give it.”

Kallabat also recognizes that there are ordinances for a reason, and that is why West Bloomfield is beautiful. Like many others in the township, he is pro-environment, but he believes there has to be compromises, especially when some of those ordinances could possibly be outdated. He plans to look into that once elected.

Kallabat graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2013. He manages his family’s pharmaceutical transportation business and is also the owner and operator of Vintage Luxury Rentals, a car rental service for special events.

His commitment to service began nearly a decade ago at St. Thomas when he became a youth group leader for CREW, a middle school boys’ group that met once a week. He had a newfound love for the church, made new friends, and even became a Eucharistic Minister. He still serves and now leads CLC (Chaldeans Loving Christ), the co-ed high school group at the church.

Kallabat says his values are rooted in his Chaldean Catholic faith and encourages young residents to become more involved in local government.

“We are the future of this township,” he said. “If we want to stay here, we have to get involved in our community. If you live in West Bloomfield, you are successful, hard-working, and you have sacrificed to live here. Our parents did that, so let’s make a change.”

Kallabat is not the only candidate seeking change.

Running alongside him for township supervisor is Jonathon Landsman, 30-year resident of West Bloomfield who retired last year from a management career with Blue Cross Blue Shield. He moved to West Bloomfield when he got married and blended his family.

Like Kallabat, Landsman believes the township’s planning, development, and environmental departments need reform. He cites a lack of accountability and an outdated approach to permitting and development.

“The leadership lacks knowledge and sophistication when it comes to changes in the environment,” claimed Landsman, 70. “People haven’t evolved with environmental development and building technologies. The processes are archaic, and they are just cozy in their jobs.”

As township supervisor, Landsman says he would review ordinances and administrative processes that have caused so much vexation for residents and businessowners. He also wants to foster a culture of professionalism and respect within township departments.

Landsman was frustrated to hear about the Main Family’s experience because he too wanted to create a safe environment for his autistic grandson. It took four surveys and two years to get approved for a fence that goes through the middle of their yard—because the township officials were interpreting the surveys in ways that did not make sense to the original 1985 deed.

Landsman believes he got the runaround so that he would simply go away. But he did not. The experience fueled his desire to serve the township.

“We need a board that looks and acts like the diversity of this township,” he noted. “We have a beautiful township, great woods and parks, but people should be able to make improvements to their home without fighting the township.”

Like Kallabat, Landsman stresses that protecting the environment remains important and wants to make clear that both candidates believe in maintaining the beauty and nature of trees and wildlife, but within reason. Residents and other property owners should not feel frustrated and intimidated by the process of beautifying their homes or repairing their properties.

The duo are not suggesting getting rid of ordinances and permits, but making the process more user-friendly, courteous, and collaborative, especially in order to avoid costly court battles that the residents ultimately pay through taxes.

As supervisor, Landsman wants to bring civility back to the board meetings; he has said he won’t tolerate meetings that get personal and out of control. Kallabat wishes for the same; both candidates credit their faith, values, and life experiences for motivating their campaigns.

“I am driven by faith and a strong moral compass,” Landsman said. “When things aren’t right, I get upset. Chaldeans and Jews, like me, have the same sense of values, and that goes across the board of all cultures in West Bloomfield. Everyone deserves an opportunity to be heard.”

“My faith teaches me that leadership is about serving others, treating people with dignity, and acting with integrity,” Kallabat said. “And that’s what we will do.”

Both Kallabat and Landsman are on the ballot in the special Democratic primary on August 4, 2026.