Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

From shopping, dining and being by the water in downtown Belhaven, Camry Sadler, of Washington, loves all the small town has to offer. Her love of Belhaven fueled her decision this summer to apply for the Town Clerk position. In September, Sadler Sadler took the job and an opportunity to live in a place she loves. 

“I think the town is what really brought me here,” Sadler said. The thought of meeting citizens in Belhaven and becoming part of the community further persuaded her to apply for the job. 

A former safety coordinator for facility services at ECU Health Beaufort, Sadler replaces former Town Clerk, Rosemary Johnson who retired earlier this year after four years. 

Johnson trained Sadler for two months before handing her the reins in September. Sadler shared the challenges of being town clerk as well as things she enjoys about the job so far. 

One of the challenges of being town clerk is learning the legalities associated with stewarding a small town. 

“I was used to that in a hospital setting being the safety coordinator, but once you get here, there’s a lot of things that this job entails,” Sadler said. 

The responsibilities of town clerks include maintaining records of town council meeting minutes, maintaining town ordinances, publishing public notices and enforcing state laws. Clerks ensure the town is operating in accordance with state laws. 

Sadler described herself as a “history nerd” who could spend “all day” in a vault containing a century’s worth of town council meeting minutes. In time spent reviewing historic meeting minutes, she noticed several recurring issues Belhaven residents have discussed at meetings throughout the last century – noise complaints about neighbors dogs, to signs that need repair and flooding from the river. 

Reading meeting minutes from Belhaven’s past and knowing each day will be different are two things Sadler is enjoying about being town clerk. Having a job where no two days are the same is “exciting” to Sadler and keeps her on her toes, she shared. One day she could be writing minutes from the council’s meeting, but the next day she could be managing the town cemetery. 

“One day I can come in and it’s a cemetery day and then the next day I come in and I’m working on my minutes from the board meeting or I’m also the human resources coordinator so then you have a whole day of human resources with Town of Belhaven employees. So, it’s kind of a day-to-day thing. It differs every day and that’s really exciting for me. You never get bored with the same thing,” Sadler said. 

In her view, Belhaven is a small, tightly knit community and breath of fresh air where “everyone knows everyone.” Any newcomers can expect friendly residents who greet one another. In Belhaven, there are less than 1,500 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

“The people are so welcoming,” Sadler said. “I have not met a stranger since being here.” 

Sadler, 35 and mother of four, hopes Belhaven can find ways to retain young residents while maintaining its small town feel. “Being a small town, I think we lose a lot of our young community,” Sadler said. 

Young people “branch out and venture out to bigger places” and their loss does little to generate things that could entice them to stay. Job creation, more social activities and expanding the boating and fishing communities are a few ideas Sadler has for keeping young people and families in Belhaven.