Wallingford Candidate Profile: Hine For Town Council

WALLINGFORD, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Wallingford and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Wallingford Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Jaime Hine, 43, is running for election to the Wallingford Town Council as a Democrat.

Are you running for office in Wallingford? Contact Vinnie Salzo at vincent.salzo@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Wallingford Patch.

Family:

Myklyn Mahoney, Wife, Attorney at Connecticut Legal Services

Jaime Hine, 8-year-old son

Education:

Penn State University, J.D.

University of Connecticut, B.A.

Occupation:

Attorney, 19 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office:

Current Alternate, Wallingford Planning & Zoning Commission

Former Alternate, Wallingford Zoning Board of Appeals

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

How do we afford major expenses such as community pool renovations, a water treatment plant upgrade and school facility upgrades while keeping taxes low?

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I believe that we need to expand our tax base by promoting public/private partnerships to encourage businesses to open and/or relocate to Wallingford. This would increase tax revenue to help pay for these major expenses.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

I will focus on: 1) providing the best educational opportunities for our children that we can reasonably afford; 2) better maintaining our roads, facilities and utilities; 3) promoting transparency; and, 4) funding much needed technology improvements. I will not stop until these goals are achieved.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I was thrust into local politics when the Town proposed expanding a baseball field parking lot within 5 feet of my property line. In response, I applied my legal skills to conduct a proper investigation and ask the right questions of Town officials to show that there was an alternative that would not require the Town to expand the lot near my home, would provide the same number of spaces and save the town $200,000 to $300,000. In addition, for the past two years, I have served on the Town on the Planning & Zoning Commission. Moreover, in the year before joining the Planning & Zoning Commission, I served the Town on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Finally, for the past two years I have helped manage a 7 attorney, 16 employee law firm.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Never base a decision on partisan politics, but do what is right for the people you represent. You must be able to live with yourself at the end of the day.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I come from a middle-class family and understand the struggles middle-class families face. I believe that we must listen to our middle-class families and take their struggles into account in formulating policies for Wallingford to be the best it can be.

Campaign website:

jaimehine.com