Wallingford, CT|News|
Dickinson Proposes Slight Tax Increase
The Wallingford mayor met with Town Council members Thursday to unveil his proposed budget.

kathleen.ramunni@patch.com
Phone
203.654-0466
Hometown
Hamden, Conn.
Birthday
April 15
Bio
Kate Ramunni grew up in Hamden and has lived in the northern section of town since 2002. She attended Alice Peck School, Sleeping Giant Jr. High School and graduated from Sacred Heart Academy.
Kate began her journalism career with Hometown Publications, where she was the founding editor of the Hamden Journal. From there she covered the Naugatuck Valley for the Connecticut Post for 12 years before coming to Patch.
Kate is an animal lover and spends her free time working with rescue groups to help find homes for homeless dogs. She has several dogs of her own, most of whom were adopted from area animal shelters.
Kate can be reached at kathleen.ramunni@patch.com or at (203) 654-0466.
Beliefs
At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.
Politics
How would you describe your political beliefs?
Since moving back to Hamden in 2002 I have been registered as a Democrat, but only so that I could vote in the Democratic primaries for mayor. I agree with the Republican Party on some issues and with the Democrats on others.
Religion
How religious would you consider yourself?
I am Roman Catholic and it is a very important part of my life.
Local Hot-Button Issues
What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?
Hamden today is a very different town than it was when I was growing up. The population has grown and in many ways so have the problems. Like most communities, Hamden's greatest challenge is providing services at a cost affordable to taxpayers. The potential for economic growth is mostly limited to what is already in place because there is little open space left available for development. Therefore, town officials have limited options in attracting new revenue.
The Wallingford mayor met with Town Council members Thursday to unveil his proposed budget.

High school graduation is right around the corner and a car makes a great gift. Here are some recommendations from AOL Autos on the best (and safest) cars to buy for your college-bound child.
Arrests made by Hamden Police from Feb. 23 through Feb. 22, 2013. The following arrest information was provided by the Hamden Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
An East Haven woman lost her purse to a man who came up to her early Thursday morning and grabbed it, according to police.
The program she facilitates offers a variety of services for parents of preschool children at Darcy School.
The agreement with the New Haven Housing Authority to manage Wallingford's public housing has been extended a year, and some questioned the wisdom of that decision during a Town Council meeting this week.
The incident, which happened in January, left a loss prevention officer injured, according to police.
The varsity and junior varsity basketball teams were both undefeated and are heading to tournament action in Boston next month.
Officer Annie Balcastro asked to be put on light duty while undergoing a high risk pregnancy last year, and the department's refusal led to a CHRO complaint and Tuesday evening, a settlement.
The contract, retroactive to last September, gives them raises but for the first time includes health care contributions.
He allegedly rear-ended another car while under the influence of heroin, according to police.
The school board is asking the Town Council to establish the fund in order to better handle special education costs.
Looking into the different facets of Mayor Scott Jackson's proposed 2013-14 budget.
Fifteen years ago, the town of Hamden budgeted $3.4 million for its self-insured health care account. Today, it's 10 times that amount and growing.
See who made the Dean's List, Honor Roll or achieved high marks in recent days.
The 13-year-old was allegedly driving in the area of Newhall Street when spotted by police.
The bi-annual bulk pickup starts next week when residents will have a month to put out for pickup large items.
The Hamden Veterans Awareness Day, now in its 13th year, was conceived by Hamden Middle School principal Daniel Levy, a Coast Guard veteran.
Mr. Caveness was an Army veteran and was employed at Manafort Bros. as a Construction Supervisor.
No. 1 Seed Quinnipiac Men’s Ice Hockey Will Face No. 16 Seed Canisius in NCAA Tournament East Regional