Laurinburg City Manager Craig Honeycutt is still in the running for the Alamance's county manager job after the board of commissioners there voted Monday night to narrow four finalists to two.

Alamance County Commissioner Dan Ingle said the board will have a second round of interviews on Friday before making a final decision.

"I am very appreciative and surprised to a certain extent," Honeycutt said Monday night. "It shows the great things we have done in Laurinburg to have a community that size thinks I am qualified."

It is unclear who the other finalist is. Honeycutt said he did not know and Alamance officials declined to say.

The three others also considered for the post are Tim Burgess, the interim county manager for Alamance; Rob Hites, Statesville city manager; and Bryan Foster, a former Halifax County administrator.

Alamance board Chairman Linda Massey said that a decision could be made on soon after Friday's interviews depending on officials schedules.

Honeycutt has been the city manager of Laurinburg since Aug. 29, 2005. He also served as Fletcher city manager for 12 years. A native of Aberdeen, Honeycutt graduated from The University of North Carolina at Pembroke before getting his master's from Western Carolina University.

Alamance County has a population of more than 145,000 and a budget of around $150 million. Laurinburg's population is close to 16,000, according to the last Census.

Alamance County's previous manager, David I. Smith, retired in December. He served as county manager for three years and the county attorney for the 12 years before that.