From left to right is Councilman Dylan Tillett, Councilman David Hines, Councilwoman Charlotte Walker, Mayor Craig Garriss, and Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Pruitt
The residents of the Town are represented by a five member Town Council. Prior to the election held in 2005, the members of the Town Council elected a Mayor from within the Council. In 2004, a ballot initiative for the direct election of a Mayor was passed by the voters of Kitty Hawk. Beginning in 2005, the voters will select the Mayor by direct election. Members of the Council are elected to four year terms, and these terms are staggered.
The Council meets on the first Monday evening of each month at 6:00 pm at the Town Hall. They make all local policies and have the final decision-making authority on planning matters. The Council also appoints members to other boards and committees.
Anyone may speak at a Town Council meeting on any subject matter during the Public Comment portion of the meeting. During the Public Hearing portion of the Town Council meetings, interested parties may speak on the specific planning item or zoning issue that is on the agenda. Please sign up with the Town Clerk before speaking so that she may enter your name into the record.
The Council members can receive mail at their home mailing address or at Town Hall. If mailing a letter to them at Town Hall, the address is PO Box 549, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949. To send an email to the members of the Town Council click here.
Form of Government
The Town of Kitty Hawk operates under the council-manager form of government. The residents elect a five-member Town Council that makes policy. The Town Manager and staff implement the policies created by the Council. The professional staff is charged with enforcement of the policies made by the Council.
Mayor & Councilmembers Service Dates – Present Day to 1981
Mayor & Councilmembers – Present Day to 1981
Rhoads Honorary Councilmember Proclamation
Town Council Meeting Dates
View Past Town Council Meetings
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Council Profiles
Craig Garriss, Mayor
Mr. Garriss was elected as Mayor in 2021. He first was elected to the Town Council in November of 2013 and re-elected in 2018. He was also selected as Mayor Pro Tem in December of 2015, 2017 and 2019. His current term as Mayor will expire in December 2025. Prior to serving on Council, he served on the Town Board of Adjustment in 2006 and was appointed to the Kitty Hawk Planning Board in 2007. In 2011 Mr. Garriss was selected as Planning Board Vice Chair, a position he held until being elected to Council. Mr. Garriss is a retired Lieutenant with the North Carolina Highway Patrol and is also retired from Vidant Police, attaining the rank of Major. He is currently a Qualified Assistant/Instructor with the College of the Albemarle’s Basic Law Enforcement Training program.
Phone: (252) 261-4922
Email: Mayor
cgarriss@kittyhawktown.net
Jeff Pruitt, Mayor Pro Tem
Mr. Pruitt was elected to Town Council in November, 2013 and re-elected in 2017 and 2021. Mr. Pruitt’s current term will expire in December 2025. Mr. Pruitt is currently serving as Mayor Pro Tem, elected in 2021. Prior to his election, Mr. Pruitt served as the Chairman of the Town’s Recreation Committee from 1995 to 2001 and has served on the Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve Local Advisory Committee from 1999 to the present. Mr. Pruitt also served on the Town’s Planning Board from 2007 to 2013. Mr. Pruitt is a native of Kitty Hawk and works as a commercial crabber.
Phone: (252) 207-9055
Email: Mayor Pro Tem Pruitt
jpruitt@kittyhawktown.net
Dylan Tillett, Councilman
Mr. Tillett was elected to Town Council in November of 2023. His term will expire in December 2027. Prior to being elected as a Councilman, he served on the Town’s Planning Board from December 2013 to June 2016.
Mr. Tillett, a native of Kitty Hawk, earned an Engineering Degree from East Carolina University and has worked with a local engineering firm since 2011 that provides service to northeastern North Carolina. He and his wife have three children. They enjoy being outdoors and staying active in the local community.
Phone: (252) 202-3802
Email: Councilman Tillett
dylan.tillett@kittyhawktown.net
David Hines, Councilman
Mr. Hines was first elected to the Town Council in November of 2019 and relected in November of 2023. His current term will expire in December 2027. He was appointed to the Town’s Board of Adjustment in July 2018 and served until his election to council. He currently serves on the Dare County Planning Board representing District 3 (Kitty Hawk, Southern Shores, Martins Point and Duck).
Mr. Hines is a business partner in Coastal NC Holdings which has been involved in real estate development since 2008. Their brokerage firm, Coastal NC Realty Group, was started a few years ago. He began his real estate brokerage career in 2004 with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty.
Phone: (252) 573-9547
Email: Councilman Hines
david.hines@kittyhawktown.net
Charlotte Walker, Councilwoman
Charlotte Walker was elected to Town Council in November 2021. Her current term will expire in 2025. Ms. Walker has also served on the Town’s Board of Adjustment and Recreation Committee. Ms. Walker became a full-time resident of Kitty Hawk in 1972 after spending many childhood summers here with her family. She made history as the first female broker in the Outer Banks Board of Realtors and the only member, at that time, to have graduated from the Realtor’s Institute in Chapel Hill. She has actively volunteered with various organizations, including the Ladies Auxiliary Fire Department, Outer Banks Women’s Club, and the Kitty Hawk School PTA, where she introduced the DARE program and helped appoint the first school resource officer two years later.
In 1982, Mrs. Walker founded the Better Beginnings Childcare and Development Center. For the next 23 years, she managed the center with a strong commitment to serving the needs of local families in Kitty Hawk. Unwavering commitment to community and family, along with accomplishments in business and volunteer work, have led to a fulfilling life for Mrs. Walker as a grandmother and Councilwoman for the Town of Kitty Hawk.
Phone: (321) 446-3744
Email: Councilwoman Walker
charlotte.walker@kittyhawktown.net