The Stuart Town Council recently appointed Robert “Bob” Pittis as an interim council member, during a meeting earlier this month.
Pittis, 65, will serve in the position until the end of the year, with a special election scheduled for November to determine who will complete the remainder of the seat’s term. He has already announced his intention to run for the position in the election.
Pittis said his decision to seek the interim role stemmed from a long-standing interest in politics and a desire to contribute to the town.
“I thought it would be nice to be on council and just maybe be part of making the town even better,” he said. “I know we’re doing fantastic now, the council’s doing an excellent job and everybody, and I’m so proud to live here. I just want to get on there and maybe see if I can’t add a little bit more to it too.”
Pittis emphasized that while the town council governs, its focus remains on serving the residents of Stuart.
“We have so many great people within our town here, and that’s who we work for is the people of the town,” he said.
At his first council meeting in March, Pittis said he plans to observe and listen before actively engaging in discussions.
“I don’t want to jump in. I want to listen. I want to partake, but I want to listen too,” he said. “We got two ears and one mouth, and you learn a lot by listening and watching.”
While he does not have specific concerns he wants to address immediately, Pittis said he does have ideas for improving the town’s annual festivals to make them more convenient for attendees.
Pittis praised the Uptown and Downtown Revitalization projects, which he said have strengthened the community and added to Stuart’s appeal.
“Our town has really, really come on strong,” he said. “The town has so much to offer, and what’s occurring is adding even more to be offered. I’m really tickled with that, I’m really excited about the hospital—that’s going to be a major thing—and just so much growth here is coming. Sometimes it’s hard to sit back and wait, but you know it’s coming.”
With Stuart’s continued development, Pittis said he is not concerned about increased public safety issues, citing the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office’s readiness to respond.
“I feel the main situation that would arise would be taken care of promptly, and then the officers would definitely take care of any situation,” he said.
However, Pittis said if grant opportunities exist to increase law enforcement presence in town, he would support pursuing them.
“I know when there’s a call in town everybody acts promptly,” he said.
Pittis also supports ongoing blight abatement efforts to address derelict homes, either by removing them or facilitating repairs.
“I think it should be an ongoing thing,” he said. “I think if there’s programs out there that’s available, we can help them, you know, through different facets of government to help them get their homes fixed up, and we should look into that too.”
At this time, Pittis does not have any properties he wishes to add to the town’s blight abatement list.
An Ohio native, Pittis attended Belmont Technical College before beginning a career in newspaper printing.
He retired from the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office after 20 years of service, where he worked as a School Resource Officer (SRO) and Correctional Officer. Pittis was also involved with Project Lifesaver, a program dedicated to locating individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s who have wandered off.
Currently, he works part-time at Moody’s Funeral Home and enjoys helping others in his free time.
Pittis and his wife, Wendy, have one son, Taylor, and two grandchildren.
