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The race for Oriental mayor is a one-woman show this year. Sally Truitt Belangia, manager of the First Citizens Bank is the only candidate in the running for Oriental mayor. This bid to be mayor of the town where she grew up is her first foray in to elected office. She would be Oriental’s first woman mayor. She was given the same questions as were the Town Commissioner candidates. Here are her responses:

1. Besides wanting to serve, why do you want to run for a seat on the Town Board? I love Oriental. My mother loved to tell the story of when I was 5 years old. People would ask, what would you like to be when you grow up and I said, “Mayor of Oriental.” Eula May Truitt Basnight was my dad’s aunt and she was the Town Clerk for years in Oriental. My dad’s uncle was Amie Lupton and he was the Mayor. I guess it runs in my family.

2. What is Oriental’s biggest challenge? Infrastructure.

3. What issue do you think is most overlooked? Water system.

4. What asset does Oriental have that deserves more attention? The waterfront and harbors.

5. What vote of the Board, or action of the Board, would you have done differently? None. What happened in the past is over.

6. What in your past or present career best prepares you for the Town Board? I have worked with the public all my life and have been active in many community organizations.

7. The proposed bike pathway between the two parts of Oriental has been in the planning stages for years. Can it be accomplished? What would you do to cut thru the impasse? Yes, we must get the bike pathway done. Yes the town should help the committee with getting grants, etc.

8. With Town-n-Country grocery closing, Oriental will soon have an empty storefront right at the entrance to town on Hwy 55. What business would you want to see there? Can and/or should the Town take a role in that? I would like to see some type of retail store in the building.

9. Should Oriental do anything differently to encourage more tourists to visit? If so, what? Yes, we should always encourage tourism. I personally love welcoming people to Oriental and we have so many events I think we need to make a plan on how to market what we have. The tourism board works hard to make this happen.

10. The ends of several streets in Oriental provide public access to the water. What’s your position on preserving the rights-of-way for public use at Wall, King, Neuse, Hodges and Church Streets? Yes to preserving the rights-of-way for public use.

11.Hodges Street at the harbor floods often, and becomes impassable. The asphalt near the culverts shows signs of cracks. Should the Town be making plans to make Hodges Street higher? I have lived all my life in Oriental with the floods water on Hodges St. Would have to research about raising the Street.

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Posted Monday October 26, 2015 by Melinda Penkava