home

O

riental’s Town Manager Wyatt Cutler is stepping down at the end of the year.

Cutler, who has been on the job since 1999, says he is retiring because, “at some point you gotta do it.”

Wyatt Cutler in the office he’s worked from for the past 9 years as Oriental’s Town Manager. He is stepping down as of January 1. Those interested in occupying this office are encouraged to write to the addresses below.

“I’m 62 and a half. That’s probably the single biggest reason,” he said in an interview shortly after publicly announcing his retirement plans.

Wyatt said he’d pondered it for some time. “I can retire. Am I gonna wait 8 months? 6 months? A year? When is it gonna be? Sometimes you just have to say, ‘Okay, this is it.’”

Wyatt Cutler came to the Oriental town manager’s job after working in the construction industry in Greensboro. A native of coastal Virginia, he said that he “wanted to get back to the coast.” In 1999, he learned of the manager’s job here. As he recalls it, he was one of 40-plus applicants.

“I love this town. Everyone is friendly. We have our issues once in a while, but I sincerely believe everyone has the good of the town at heart. They come at it from different angles.” he said, adding, “Everybody wants it to stay the way it is, to some extent.”

Wyatt says he hopes to do a little sailing and that he and his wife, Conis, will continue to live in the area.

Part of the Town Manager’s job involves taking care of the details…. in this case, the upside-down “g” that was painted on Oriental’s new water tower a few years ago. Before it was fixed, a photo of the error was taken and now hangs on the wall of Wyatt’s office.

As for the town, the search is on for a new Town Manager. Ads have been placed in municipal government publications. Here’s the way it reads:

Town Manager. Oriental, NC pop 875. Sailing Capital of NC. Located in Pamlico County on the Neuse River/Pamlico Sound. Council-manager form of gov’t w/mayor and 5-member board. 10 full-time employees and 1.2 M budget. 4-year degree and some local gov’t experience preferred. Salary DOQ. Excellent benefits. Send cover letter and resume to: Mayor, Town of Oriental, PO Box 472, Oriental, NC 28571-0472. or e-mail manager@townoforiental.com EOE

Wyatt Cutler told the Oriental Town Board that if they couldn’t find a replacement by January 1st, he could “work something out.”

Posted Friday November 7, 2008 by Melinda Penkava