North Hempstead Town Council Candidates: Meet Dina De Giorgio

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — Voters in the Town of North Hempstead's 6th District will head to the polls Nov. 5 to cast their ballots for council member.

Republican Dina De Giorgio seeks her third four-year term as District 6 councilwoman against Democratic challenger Mariann Dalimonte.

The district consists of Port Washington, including the villages of Baxter Estates, Manorhaven, Port Washington North and Sands Point. It also includes the villages of Flower Hill, Munsey Park, Plandome, Plandome Heights and Plandome Manor.

Patch reached out to both candidates via email and/or Facebook to hear where they stand on important issues affecting the community.

Here are their responses.

Dina De Giorgio

• Age (as of Sept. 1): 51
• Town of residence: Port Washington
• Position sought: North Hempstead Town Councilwoman (District 6)
• Party affiliation: Republican
• Family: Husband, Joe, and two children Nick and Samantha.
• Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No.
• Education: B.S. from Fordham University's Rose Hill campus; JD from Fordham University's School of Law.
• Occupation: Attorney for 20-plus years.
• Previous or current elected or appointed office: North Hempstead town councilwoman
• Campaign Website: VoteForDina.com

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Reducing the cost of living while maintaining and improving the quality of life in our community. It is no secret it is incredibly expensive to live in North Hempstead, particularly as changes have been passed from Washington and Albany that have increased our tax burden. I believe it is the job of local government to insulate residents and not increase the already overwhelming tax burden of our federal and state governments. I have always worked to provide the best government services at the lowest cost to my constituents by advocating for a flat budget each year, while also fighting against the hiring of high-priced, outside consultants and political appointees. I will also continue working to improve the quality of life in our district. I am proud of the work we have accomplished at the town, including: Main Street's first refresh in decades; 5 new miles of biking and hiking trails in Hempstead Woods; and a variety of clean-up efforts in our community to remove trash and cigarette butts on our streets.

See also: North Hempstead Town Council Candidates: Meet Mariann Dalimonte

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

Experience and leadership skills. I have been honored to be the councilwoman for the last eight years and have learned what it takes to do the job. It requires time, energy, skill, and a little chutzpah to move the needle in government and get things done. I have always worked tirelessly for all of my constituents with an emphasis on transparency and accessibility. My staff and I make every effort to answer every phone call, email, and letter that comes into my office. Then, we work with community organizations and our residents to ensure that everyone's voice is heard, and that our government serves them as best as it possibly can.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

N/A.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Promoting our community as a place to do business, including refreshing our business district and main street, overseeing and managing the rezoning of our waterfront district, bringing new parks and public recreational space for our residents and making sure that our town government processes building permits quickly and efficiently to allow small businesses to open and thrive in our community. Most importantly, continuing to promote the transparency and accountability in the government that our constituents deserve — advocating for open hearings and town halls on town projects— ensuring that our budget is accessible, easy to understand and accurate -and that the town delivers services to the residents in the most cost effective way possible.

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

I am proud of the work I've accomplished with my colleagues for our community, but more important I think is how we've managed to serve the town. We are a diverse group from different backgrounds and parties with a lot of different thoughts and ideas. Most of the time however, we are able to see eye to eye and vote unanimously on initiatives to help our community. When we disagree however, we do so collegially, and often bridge any divide, preventing petty politics from negatively impacting our service. I'm proud of the relationships I've built with my colleagues, and think in many ways North Hempstead is a model for governments around the country... including and especially Washington, D.C.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

From Governor George Pataki, who said that I should always do what I thought was right, regardless of whether it was expedient or not.

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

Being your councilwoman for the last eight years has been an honor and a privilege. I love it and want to keep doing it.