Candidates for the Laurinburg City Council say employment is the big issue in Tuesday's election.

There are five candidates running for three council seats, one for each district and an at-large seat.

Mayor Pro Tem Rembert DeBerry, a local business owner, is running for reelection to his At-Large council seat.

The 51-year old owner of DeBerry Upholstery says jobs should be the top priority for the city as the recession has devastated local jobs.

"Laurinburg, like all small towns in America, lost a lot of jobs after the NAFTA agreement was signed," DeBerry said. "It really hurt us because we had a lot of manufacturing jobs here."

If elected to a fourth term, he promises to dedicate his efforts towards recruiting new industry.

"I just hope we can get some more manufacturers to relocate here," DeBerry said. "Our unemployment rate is a problem and we need to put people back to work."

The council member, now in his 11th year, says he has the experience to do the job well.

He first started his service to the city by adopting a street. He then served on three committees – Beautification Committee, Solid Waste Advisory Board and Planning and Zoning Board – before being appointed to fill the vacant seat of Rev. David Thornton.

Besides his work with the city, DeBerry has served on several boards and volunteered with multiple organizations. He served on the BB&T bank board, the board of deacons at Bright Hopewell Baptist Chuch, has served as a youth baseball coach off and on for 20 years, and a Scout leader.

He says his work at his upholstery shop since he was 12, which was started by his father, has given a strong sense of what is important for Laurinburg businesses and gives him constant contact with city residents.

Kenton Spencer, 40-year old medical administrator, has challenged DeBerry for the at-large seat.

"I passionately believe I can make a difference and be an agent of change, by positively impacting the community and the lives of our families through progressive initiatives, sustainable projects and innovative development," Spencer said.

Spencer sees plenty of issues for the council to tackle in coming years – high unemployment, lack of social opportunities for families, workforce redevelopment, small business growth and rising energy costs.

While the administrator has never served in an elected office, Spencer says his work has more than prepared him to represent the resident of Laurinburg.

"As a former corporate executive and military officer I believe I bring to the table a diverse skill set," Spencer said. "But most importantly, I bring to the job a specific vision, a roadmap, of what we can do together to move Laurinburg forward through the eyes of a father, a local business owner and a concerned resident of Laurinburg."

As a councilman, Spencer plans to make businesses on the north side of town to act as an economic corridor, create recreational opportunities for Laurinburg children and promote small businesses.

Councilman Herbert M. Rainer, Jr., a 59-year old employee of the N.C. Department of Correction, is seeking to retain his seat as District 1 representative.

"The global economic crisis has left our community battered, but I believe there are workable solutions available to us," Rainer said.

The three-term councilman says the city should partner with those businesses still in Laurinburg.

"Such companies are essential to our economic viability," Rainer said.

He wants to work with these companies to make a "blueprint" for Laurinburg's future.

"I would like to use that same blueprint in attracting new industries to Laurinburg," Rainer said. "Likewise, we should explore ways in which we can maximize the potential of the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport Industrial Park to attract new businesses and industry to our area."

"As a community, we must do better by our children," Rainer said. "A spirit of academic under achievement and contempt for civil discourse cannot become the accepted status quo. We must not only combat gang violence, but also address its root causes... Too many of our young people are disconnected from any source of positive reinforcement and direction."

Rainer wants Laurinburg and Scotland County to work together to build a youth center, something he says will be a priority in his next term if reelected.

"The city of Laurinburg is going through some tough issues and I feel you need someone who has the experience of the past to get through these tough times, someone who can hit the ground running and maneuver through these rough economic times," Rainer said.

He said innovative thinking and new ideas are needed to revitalize the local economy.

"I certainly feel I have those capabilities."

Rainer started his work with the city on the Planning and Zoning Board and has also served on the Scotland County Literacy Council, chaired the Pastor-Parish Relation Committee at Galilee United Methodist Church, coached baseball with the Optimist Club, mentored students with Scots for Youth and was an assistant Boy Scout Leader.

The councilman has worked for the Scotland County Correction Institute since it was opened six years ago and spent 29 years in textiles beforehand. He has an accounting degree from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Hattie Pegues Ray, who is challenging Rainer for his District 1 council seat, says a change in leadership would do the city good.

"It appears that we've gotten into a rut and we've been this way too long," Ray said. "I look at present leadership and it seems to be more reactive than proactive... I hope to bring some new vision to local government."

As a councilwoman, Ray says she will challenge city government to embrace new ideas.

"I know there are other places that are larger than our city that are doing things," Ray said. "There are ideas we can grab ahold of, that we can implement here, if we have people who can go out and find the resources and bring them back."

Ray says unemployment is a major concern for most residents, who she believes struggles to hold on to what little money they have and work hard to avoid unnecessary expenses.

She hopes to instill pride in city residents.

"People want to look around them and feel good about the place they live," Ray said.

Ray says that, as a minister, she will bring a community-minded perspective to the council.

"I hear and see and feel what the people are going through," Ray said.

She also believes she will bring compassion to the board.

"I think that (compassion) should be a qualification for any public servant."

Ray currently serves on the Scotland County Ministerial Alliance and has volunteered with Church and Community Services, a local food bank and volunteers as a substitute teacher.

Tommy Parker, city councilman from District 1, says he is seeking reelection because he is devoted to Laurinburg.

"I've lived in Laurinburg all my life," Parker said. "Its where I want to live. It's part of my DNA. I just want to do all I can to see Laurinburg succeed and grow and provide opportunities to our citizens."

He believes it would be easy for a council member to walk away as the city is seeing tough times with a 16.5 percent unemployment rate.

The two-term councilman says he's not ready to walk away from the city yet.

"It's had better times than it has right now, but I think we can restore that," Parker said. "I think we've got some positive initiatives going."

He talked of new efforts to attract industry and the WestPoint Stevens project.

Possible the the most important project is getting a new runway for Laurinburg-Maxton Airport.

"That's our diamond in the rough right now," Parker said. "If we can make it a better runway, it would be a way to have some growth."

Parker says he's worked in the furniture industry since graduating from North Carolina State University with a degree in the subject.

He worked at several furniture plants before moving back to Laurinburg and opening Parker Furniture in 1973.

Parker was a two-term school board member, serves on the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport Commission, BRAC Steering Committee, the Economic Development Board and currently chairs the Lumber River Council of Governments.

"The top issue for the city is to provide services for citizens in an efficient and economical manner," Parker said. He is running unopposed.