Tarboro Taps Businessman as New Mayor
Written by Lindell John Kay
The Tarboro Weekly

The Tarboro Town Council has tapped a local longtime businessman to serve as mayor. Joe Pitt, co-owner of Marrow-Pitt Ace Home Center, was elected by the council at its Monday meeting to serve out the remainder of the term left vacant by Rick Page, who stepped down earlier this year.

“I’m honored they considered me,” Pitt said. “I’m just hoping to pay back the town of Tarboro for all its support over the years.”

Pitt said he plans to use his decades of experience as a business owner to help run the town. “In retail, you have to learn to talk to people of all walks of life and temperaments,” Pitt said.

Town Manager Troy Lewis said Pitt is a respected businessman and civil volunteer who showed interest in serving as mayor.

“He’s been an advocate for Tarboro for a long time,” Lewis said.

Pitt has served as president of the Tarboro Area Chamber of Commerce, Tarboro Community Outreach and chairman of the Tarboro Savings Bank board of directors. He was also president of the Tarboro Area Development Corp. and was the first recipient of the Chamber’s Small Businessman of the Year Award. He is an active member of the Calvary Episcopal Church.

Pitt has been running the 10,000-square-foot hardware store since graduating from college in the late 1960s. Pitt has shared company ownership with his son Mears Pitt for the past two decades. Mears is the fourth-generation Pitt to run the store since it was established in the early 1900s.

Joe Pitt said his son is doing such a good job running the company he felt like he could take time to be mayor.