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Windsor Vice Mayor J. Randy Carr tendered his resignation from the Windsor Town Council effective Monday, June 30, as a change in residency brought his time of eligible service to a close.

Carr and his wife, Frankie, have not moved far, though.

“We found another home in Smithfield that we really liked, and so we have moved to Smithfield, and if there was any way I could have stayed on council (while) living in Smithfield…,” he said, trailing off before adding, “but that wouldn’t have been the right thing to do. So that was a decision that I had to make, and there wasn’t any reason I resigned other than changing residence.”

He noted that their new home overlooks the Pagan River.

“The view is just absolutely gorgeous,” he said. “We went in and restored the home, and we just moved last week. I reckon that’s going to be the one that they’re going to roll me out in a box because … this is my retirement home.”

Carr, who will be 66 in August, noted that he has slowed his pace in terms of work, but he continues to contribute to Windsor-based Landworks Unlimited Inc., where he has served as owner and president.

He noted that he incorporated Landworks back in 2001, and the company has been involved in a significant amount of clearing, demolition and excavating work throughout the Hampton Roads area. 

He indicated that this working background enabled him to bring a business mind to the Town Council, giving him guidelines from which to make decisions for the town.

Carr served on the Town Council for six-and-a-half years, including the past two-and-a-half years during which he has served as vice mayor.

A Tuesday, July 1, town news release on Carr’s resignation stated, “His dedication to the position and contributions to the community are greatly appreciated and will be sorely missed.”

Stubbs said that he let Carr know he was going to miss having him sit by his side as they navigated town business during council meetings.

“We’ve been doing it for six-and-a-half years,” Stubbs said. “He and I started on council at the same time. Since I’ve been mayor, he’s been the vice mayor, of course. He sat to my right. He has been a big support.”

He praised Carr for being a man of ideas who brought insight to the council that offered alternative ways of getting things done.

“I’m going to miss him,” Stubbs said, “but I understand (his decision), and I wished him well.”

Carr said, “I loved serving on the council with the other council members and enjoyed working with all of the citizens in the town.”

He also specifically highlighted having enjoyed working with Stubbs and Town Manager William Saunders.

Referencing the council members, Carr said, “We all did not agree on everything, and that’s what makes up a good council is you can’t agree on everything. If you did, then a lot of things wouldn’t get done. But when we all disagreed, at the end of the day, we all came together and we continued to serve the citizens of Windsor, trying to improve the town and bring in more revenue for the town. 

“I enjoyed it,” he added.  And I wished everybody well, and they all still have my number, and if anybody wants to give me a call and ask my opinion on something, I said, ‘Please do.’”

Carr reflected on the accomplishments of the council from the past six-and-a-half years that he was most proud of.

“During the first term, we were able to get the new Public Works building built for the Public Works guys, the new facility,” he said. “At the beginning of my first term, we were able to get that done.”

“Of course, we’re steady trying to get something with a new town office, and of course, you’ve got to have more revenue coming in, different things have to fall in place,” he continued. “But the town of Windsor is growing. They’ve got the new Windsor Station homes, the development being built there. They’ve got some other things going on. The Windsor Woods is completed now, that was done. But the Town Hall is getting small, and there’s other people that need to be staffed there to help William out, get the day-to-day accomplishments done.

“So hopefully sometime in the near future that something with a Town Hall will fall in place, because we worked hard over the last six years trying to come up with some ideas on that,” he said. “It will soon.”

Carr, who grew up in Ivor, settled in Windsor after he got married, building a house there 30 years ago and raising three children and three grandchildren in the time since then. He estimated he has lived in Windsor 36 to 38 years.