Incumbent Roanoke Rapids City Councilman Ernest Bobbitt has done all he can do. The rest is up to the voters as he seeks to win a third term to office in his race against challenger Jim Garrett in Tuesday's contested race.

He has passed out some 1,500 flyers, gone door to door and ran some ads.

He sees the theater as an issue in this race. The main issue, however, is striking a balanced budget. Even without the theater, the budget would be an issue, he says. “What we've been trying to do is leave it open, have what shows we can, even local shows, and make it look better than what it is. It's better to have it open than close it up. Either way it's going to be tough.”

He believes the idea will work, it's just that the city, as well as the country, hit, “the perfect storm as far as the economy.”

Bobbitt is waiting to see what kind of budget the interim city manager comes up with for the next fiscal before predicting a doomed forecast.

He said the first thing the city needs to look at is capital outlay. “Obviously, there are things we have to buy. We've got to have some things taken care of. There's been more thought on cutting back capital outlay. It may come to that.”

Bobbitt said the city is not alone in its struggles. “We don't sell water, we don't sell electricity. We need to be cost efficient. You always need to do that. It's a tough situation.”

Bobbitt will accept whatever happens at the end of Tuesday night. “I may lose but I will get up and be the same person.”