David Overton has only been on the job as Princeville’s interim town manager since Aug. 31, but he is making a positive difference.

Overton, who is retired and commuting from Windsor, has secured a $310,700 stimulus grant to help pay for repair of the town’s water system. The town will have to repay half of the loan but there is no interest for 20 years. Already, leaks have been found in old hydrants and meters malfunctioning. More inspections are scheduled next month.

The grant will help purchase 25 new hydrants and all new meters that can be monitored electronically.

The town has a million gallons of unaccounted water each month, about 27 percent of the water it buys from Tarboro.

Overton thinks if the leaks are found and repaired, the town will save $60,000 to $65,000.

Overton also is seeking the reimbursement of state sales taxes, going back three years that totals $23,945. In addition, he figures the town is due about $13,000 in sales tax reimbursement from the new Welcome Center/Museum.

He is going to either sell or get rid of bulky display cases the town has been paying $375 a month to store. Overton figures the town has paid more than $16,000 over the last four years for storage.

He also is looking into acquiring a $20,000 grant from The Rural Center to help pay the town’s share of an $80,00 grant it received from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund to replace its pumping stations.

Overton, 64, has more than 40 years experience in town administration. He was assistant town clerk, town clerk and then town administrator of Windsor, the county seat of Bertie County, from 1964 until he retired in 2003.

“The board is well pleased,” Mayor Delia Perkins said. “He’s been very good and we’ve been able to work well with him. He’s interested in doing things to help the town.”

Overton was hired to work until the end of the year, after the Nov. 3 election.

He works part-time, three days a week. He is being paid $35 per hour.