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he election for the 2026 Board of Commissioners is generating a lot of discussion. Former and current Commissioners, and residents are writing in with their opinions on what makes a good commissioner and a good board, and what are the best choices for the future of Oriental.

Their letters are listed here in chronological order.

Former Commissioner David White writes in about “Oriental Town Staff as an investment, not just an expenditure.”

Having been a past Oriental Town Commissioner for 10 years and assigned as the Human Resource liaison, I would like to share my observations on the current Board’s treatment of personnel.

We have members of our Board who do not view our Town employees as individuals or a team, rather only as numbers. Yes, our workforce must be managed properly as it is the largest portion of the Town’s budget, which is usually the case in small towns and municipalities. As a small town, we reflect our personnel as part of the entire budget, but they should be managed as people and not numbers. Once a Board starts viewing employees only as figures, they lose sight of staff as individuals and a team.

Oriental’s governance was established long ago as a Council form of government – we hire a Town Manager to handle the day-to-day activities, financials, and staff management, and that person then reports to the Commissioners. The Commissioners approve the Town’s budget and strategy for the Town Manager to implement. Commissioners should not be involved in the day-to-day activities or staff management as that is the Town Manager’s responsibility. This Council form of government serves as a clear path of defined roles among parties. A perfect example of Commissioners not understanding their roles was on 8/18/25 when Commissioners’ Price and Crosser tried to call a special meeting to discuss police coverage because of a resigning officer without Diane Miller’s presence – and the Town Manager has direct responsibility for Police personnel.

We are a small town for which hiring a qualified staff is hard at best and downright horrible at times. To name just a few of our employees’ responsibilities, they must manage a water plant, handle financials, see to town maintenance, maintain our waterfront assets, conduct Board meetings, implement the budget, address residents’ day-to-day concerns and issues, accomplish utility billing, deal with government bureaucracies, and carry out storm preparations and clean up. Our employees ably restored the Town after Hurricane Florence damages in 2018 as well as other storms that have impacted our village. We had a highly qualified team in place, but have recently lost five competent staff members.

Several of the current Commissioners do not understand their role and insist on meddling in the day-to-day management of employees causing much consternation and dismay with our Town Manager and staff. These actions caused the loss of five – three Public Works staff (including the Water Plant manager), the Financial Manager, and most recently one of our policemen. The Town had to hire two consultants and request assistance from the County to run our Water Plant while a new Water Plant manager was trained, and was also forced to hire a new Finance Manager at a higher salary than was being paid to the former employee. Additionally, the Board authorized outsourcing of both meter reading and mowing, jobs previously performed by now lost staff. I believe the above actions caused the Town to pay more for the competent servicing we previously had in place with the resigning employees. Our staff deserves better and should be managed by the very capable Town Manager and not by Commissioners overstepping their limited roles.

When storms such as Florence hit in 2018, it was Town employees working as a team that rebuilt Oriental – not a number, but a dedicated group of individuals who more than stepped up to the situation. If Oriental faces another hurricane, citizens will be forced to rely on a reduced Public Works staff now that previously handled responsibilities have been outsourced to private contractors.

Excluding the incumbents, there are nine new candidates seeking five positions on Oriental’s Board of Commissioners. We should elect five new Board members who have the best interest of the Town front and center and do not consider our staff as mere numbers. If another dysfunctional Board is elected, we will most certainly lose the Town Manager and possibly other staff as well. Do not let that happen.

David White
Oriental Resident
Crossposted to The Pamlico News
September 4, 2025

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to several letters and advertisements surrounding the upcoming Town of Oriental election for new Commissioners. I feel compelled to share my observations, particularly regarding Commissioner Bonnie Crosser’s campaign and tenure.

First, let’s talk about advertising. Commissioner Crosser has invested heavily in promoting her image with three small ads paid for by Frank Roe and one notably large ad, likely funded by Crosser herself. Why do other candidates not feel the need for such extensive advertising? Perhaps they have nothing to hide and don’t need to push their image so forcefully.

Crosser’s supporters often dismiss criticism as “lies,”  but after speaking with those directly involved, I ask: how could so many of us be telling the same “lies?”

Her lawn signs proclaim, “Fears and Feelings are not Facts” and “Honesty Puts Principles before Personalities.”  Yet, in my opinion, fear has been a defining feature of her leadership. During her tenure, I’ve witnessed an unprecedented number of town employees leave their positions, citing the toxic atmosphere she created. While Crosser may claim they planned to leave anyway, those individuals have said otherwise. That they left because they couldn’t endure the working conditions.

Let’s address the “facts.” Crosser touts saving the town over $230,000 by outsourcing services like meter reading and lawn care. But this savings came at the cost of eliminating three Public Works positions. The result: A fragmented workforce. The lawn is mowed, but not edged; weed control is handled with Roundup. The meter reader reads meters, nothing more.

Gone are the days when our staff did everything, especially during crises like Hurricane Florence, when employees camped in Town Hall to serve the town before tending to their own damaged homes. This used to be a team. Every member understood the town’s needs and worked together to meet them. Now, fear and division reign.

And the biggest concern? Our Town Manager, Diane Miller, has indicated she will retire depending on who is elected as commissioners. I challenge anyone to find a Town Manager who has done more, found more grants for funding, worked as hard for Oriental than Diane Miller.

So, back to Crosser’s signs: Honesty, Principles, Personalities. I urge voters to reflect on who truly embodies these values. Who do you trust to lead our town forward…not with slogans, but with integrity and collaboration?

Sincerely,
Carol Small
Oriental, NC
September 13, 2025

In response to David White’s article in your paper:

I agree that the Oriental town staff is an investment, as we train them, send them to classes etc. They are truly an asset to the town. When they do well we all do well. They are also one of the largest portions of our town budget. With that said, the operation of the town is also a business and needs to be run as such. It needs to be accountable to the residents of this town who trust that it will us use our taxes wisely and responsibly to provide the most effective means of service while also preserving the unique character of Oriental. It is a difficult balancing act and I appreciate all the dedicated work that Diane Miller and the town employees do to help achieve those goals.

But there is always room for improvement. One of the commissioners was voted onto the Board specifically because her campaign was based on her strong background in money management. I applaud her for honoring her campaign promises, but I am deeply concerned about the responses to it. I hear completely different telling of events depending on who I talk to. This makes me wonder if people are dealing more with feelings regarding personality and/or perceived threats to the status quo rather than facts. It seems to me that both sides need to take a breath, disregard the hearsay, and work on communicating with each other while embracing each other’s unique skill sets in order to achieve the goal of the best town government this wonderful little town can afford at our present tax rate.

Sincerely,
Dan & Sharon Forman (50 year resident of Oriental)
September 17, 2025

Oriental’s Town Board Works Best with Collaboration

Having been one of your Town Commissioners going on 12 years, I would like to share my thoughts on our Board’s lack of collaboration. Any Board works healthier with open collaboration and respect for members. It is not about whose position on an issue is better than other Commissioners’ positions, but what is in the best interest of the Town. Effective collaboration starts first with each Commissioner’s respecting the others, which sadly is missing with this Board.

In my experience with previous Boards, we did not always agree, but there was a respectful working relationship. Town business was conducted in a civil manner with consideration for all. We are a small town where open collaboration and constructive communication is paramount to a successful Town and Board. When several Board members seize the stance that their positions are best for all and disregard input from Town residents, staff, and other Commissioners, then the best interest of the Town is lost to personal agendas.

Excluding the two incumbents, we have nine candidates running for election. The voters should choose five to replace all as the Town deserves a functional Board and there are nine qualified candidates to fill these five positions.

Charlie Overcash, Commissioner
Oriental, NC
Crossposted to The Pamlico News
September 17, 2025

Dear Neighbor,

Mr. White’s recent opinion letter (9/10/25) is riddled with inaccuracies and misrepresentations. As one of your commissioners, and as a CPA, I feel it is important to set the record straight with facts.

I was appointed Financial Liaison in 2024 by a majority vote. During Mr. White’s decade on the Board (2013–2023), serious financial lapses occurred: weak internal controls, years of delayed bank reconciliations, and idle funds left uninvested. These failures cost the Town real money. Since my appointment, those problems have been corrected and controls are in place, reconciliations are timely, and idle funds now earn interest.

On Personnel – Mr. White claims the Board mishandles employees. That is false. Employee supervision and retention fall under the Town Manager, not the Commissioners. Even the Town Manager has said publicly she is eligible to retire in early 2026. Suggesting her future depends on the outcome of an election is nothing more than fearmongering.

On Services – Mr. White suggests services have declined. The facts prove otherwise. Public Works promoted a manager from within, a new finance officer was hired, and outsourcing of meter reading and park mowing reduced costs while keeping services strong. Residents report services have not declined; in fact, they have improved. There is no backlog of work orders and no measurable overtime.

On the Special Meeting – Mr. White falsely claimed I tried to arrange a meeting with the Sheriff. The record shows it was Commissioner Litzenburger who initiated that meeting, and Mayor Belangia who canceled it. Mr. White’s accusation is intentional misinformation.

On Finances – Mr. White ignores the progress that has been made under proper oversight. In July 2025, the Town Manager reported $234,000 in expense reductions compared to the prior year, pending final audit adjustments. Outsourcing was one contributing factor to these results.

Today, the Town’s finances are stronger, services are stable, and residents are better served due to the corrective measures taken by the current Board of Commissioners and the Town Manager.

Respectfully,
Commissioner Bonnie Crosser, CPA
September 18, 2025