Robert Cayton was a Beaufort County commissioner for nine years before he made an unsuccessful run for N.C. House District 3 in 2012. Now, the Aurora native is back in the race for a commissioner’s seat.

For Cayton, there are a few reasons why he’s running for office again, the main one being that he feels the entire county cannot be represented — and all constituents’ needs met — if all seven sitting commissioners have Washington addresses.

“In the east, in the west, the north, and the south county, the needs were not being addressed,” Cayton said.

He’s not the first candidate seeking a seat on the county board to bring up the lack of county representation when it comes to the Board of Commissioners. The issue is a concern for Cayton, but so is the economic health of the county.

“Jobs — we need more jobs in Beaufort County,” Cayton said. “There are leading (economic) engines: agriculture, military and tourism. Beaufort County is an agriculture county—that’s the strongest economic engine we’ve got. But we’ve also got strong tourism. We must build on what we have. … From that foundation, we build out with other kinds of jobs.”

Cayton is also a strong proponent of public education and the need for Beaufort County Community College to play a key role in training the future workforce — part of long-term plan for the county.

“A county government must have a vision,” Cayton said. “Beaufort County, with the cooperation of the municipalities, needs a two-year plan, a five-year, a 10-year, a 20-year plan.”

Cayton said that type of planning would put the county in a good position, and hopefully provide a strong enough economic base, to withstand recession.

The hot button issue of the coming election — the construction of, and funding for, a new public-safety facility including sheriff’s office, 911-call center, emergency management and the Beaufort County Detention Center — is one that Cayton feels needs more study.

“There’s two questions: How do I feel about the present proposal? And, do we need a new jail?” Cayton said.

Cayton said discussion would precede any decision-making on his part, but when it comes to the safety of both inmates and correctional staff, a new facility is necessary. Looking at the number of low bonds issued by local magistrates to avoid jail overcrowding makes the current 85-bed detention center in the basement of the courthouse look like it has a “revolving door,” Cayton said.

But when it comes to funding a new facility, Cayton doesn’t believe building the multi-million dollar complex in the Chocowinity Industrial Park would hit Beaufort County residents hard — if at all, he said.

“Why would we need to have a tax increase, if you have a surplus in the budget — as I have been told there is?” Cayton asked.

The subject has long inspired division and, at certain points, animosity between current county commissioners, which has spilled over into meetings — another issue Cayton hopes to diminish if elected.

“The county government does not need to be a divisive, adversarial institution or form of government. The sheriff is elected, the Board of Education is elected, the community college trustees appointed, the board of health — to solve the kinds of problems that we’re facing, all must work together. That doesn’t mean we’re all going to agree. But we need a county government to be able to work with other boards in a manner that is constructive, not adversarial,” Cayton said. “You and I can agree. You and I can disagree. We can disagree agreeably. … There are constituents to represent — we ought to be able to sit down and find out what’s best for Beaufort County and that is what we should do — discuss what’s best for our constituents and that is the direction we should go. That is a representative form of government.”

Cayton sees his past, and, perhaps, future, role on the county board as part of his personal tradition of community service. Currently the pastor at two Pamlico County churches — Reelsboro Christian Church and Concord Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Merritt — Cayton has taken his faith-based service to a state and national level, serving as chairman of a regional board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), as well as a board member for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the U.S. and Canada. Cayton has served on the Board of Trustees of both Beaufort County Community College and Barton College, the N.C. Association of Community College Trustees, the Rural Planning Organization for transportation, the Highway 17 Association board, the Southern Albemarle Association, as well as many Beaufort County boards: health department, water and home boards; among many other volunteer positions, from eastern North Carolina 4-H to chairman of North Carolina State University’s Family and Consumer Sciences Board.

For Cayton, community service is an intrinsic part of life: “I believe you have the responsibility to give back to your community to help other individuals,” Cayton said. “I have a moral, ethical, responsibility to make this a better place on my journey through life.”