Cary town manager to retire

Shivar, 63, has overseen Cary's day-to-day operations since March 2009. He previously spent more than 13 years as Cary's assistant town manager.

"Having a life-long career in public service has been tremendously rewarding, and it couldn’t get any better than ending it here in what I believe is the best community in the nation," Shivar said in a statement. "I am tremendously grateful to the (Cary Town) Council for their trust and support, as well as to the top-notch staff that I’ve relied on to do what it takes every day to keep Cary great."

Mayor Harold Weinbrecht called Shivar "the best manager in local government in the state."

"Ben established a great partnership between the council, staff and the Chamber, primarily through good communications," Weinbrecht said in a statement. "As mayor, I always knew where we stood with issues. I connected with him, and we worked very well together."

Cary Town Council will discuss in the coming weeks a search for a successor, the mayor said.