North Hempstead Town Council Candidates: Meet Mariann Dalimonte

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.

Democrat Mariann Dalimonte is challenging incumbent Republican Dina De Giorgio, who seeks her third four-year term as councilwoman.

The 6th District is comprised 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.

Mariann Dalimonte

• Age (as of Sept. 1): 51
• Town of residence: Port Washington
• Position sought: Town of North Hempstead Councilperson - District 6
• Party affiliation: Democrat
• Family: Husband, Jim; three children Lyndsay, James and Amanda; and a dog, Cody.
• Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No.
• Education: Bachelor of science: Accounting, La Roche University in Pittsburgh.
• Occupation:
  • Executive director at Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District — 2019 is my fifth year working for the district.
  • Director of development at Residents Forward (Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington) - Six Years
  • Bookkeeper at Residents Forward (Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington) - one Year
  • Director of operations at Epic Records Group, Sony Music Entertainment - Worked for Sony Music Entertainment for 14 years

• Previous or current elected or appointed office: None.
• Campaign Website: Facebook.com/DalimonteForTownCouncil

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

Our residents face the burden of enormously high cost of living and rising taxes, forcing middle class families to either struggle or leave our community entirely. The town board needs to continue to hold the line on taxes and ensure that our community can remain affordable.

See also: North Hempstead Town Council Candidates: Meet Dina De Giorgio

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

I'm doing this for our community. I believe strongly in one simple idea: Everyone's voice matters. As the next councilperson, I will give all of my constituents a place to be heard. I plan on hosting regular town hall meetings and implementing regular email communications with all constituents.

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

Our current Councilperson is responsible for the Main Street project. There was no meeting with merchants or constituents. Taxpayers must have a voice. The curb extensions on the corners of Main Street/ South and North Maryland made our community lose parking spaces because of poor planning. The Port Washington Police Department told our councilperson no to having these on our narrow Main Street, but they were done anyway. I promise the entire community that I will listen and together we will work as a TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More).

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Serving our neighborhoods — as a lifelong Port Washington resident, I will listen to each and every constituent. This is my home too and I want to see only the best for our community. I will be your voice.Defending the environment — I will safeguard the coast, beaches and parks that make up our community.Protecting our quality of life — I will fight overdevelopment.Commercial area — Our downtown has enormous potential, but there is a disconnect as to why businesses cannot thrive. The first step is identifying the problem, and we can best start that discussion by bringing together landlords, business owners, community leaders, community members, and local elected officials. As the next councilwoman, one of my key goals would be to hold regular roundtable discussions, and not only have those honest discussions, but work towards building consensus and finding solutions.

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

All the years of volunteering in our community, working at Residents Forward and The Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

The best quote that was shared with me:"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." - Helen Keller

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

I'm a fourth generation Port Washington resident. My love of our community has been reflected in my passionate engagement with local organizations.

What started as a simple decision to leave my career to become a stay-at-home mom grew into full-time involvement in the community.

I've worked tirelessly to improve the quality of education in Port Washington. I began with volunteering on numerous committees at my children’s nursery and elementary schools. I eventually rose to serve as president of the John Philip Sousa Elementary School HSA, president of the Carrie Palmer Middle School HSA, and vice president of communications for Paul D. Schreiber High School.

I currently serve as an advisory board member of The Ed. Foundation. My service evolved to also include key roles in important organizations that achieved significant successes for the community and its residents. More importantly, I built a reputation for bringing people together.

As executive director of the Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District, I collaborated with local businesses and residents, organizing the first restaurant week, as well as other popular programs. As director of development for Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington (now Residents Forward), I built critical support for educational, environmental, and beautification efforts in the community. Currently, I serve as treasurer of the Pride in Port Committee and serve on the boards of the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce and the Port Washington Senior Citizens Center. Also, I volunteer my time in numerous other civic efforts. I was a recipient of the 2012 Port Washington Chamber of Commerce Appreciation Award, the 2017 Town of North Hempstead Woman’s Roll of Honor, and was selected as the 2018 Pride in Port Community Honoree.

As of Oct. 4, I have been Endorsed by:Working Families Party; Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; Long Island Builders Institute; Communications Workers of America Local 1104; and Eleanor's Legacy.