The Laurinburg-Maxton Airport Commission is expected to hold a joint meeting with local and state leaders to talk about economic incentives for the air base.

But commission officials don't expect the discussion to be upbeat. The joint meeting is Friday at 3 p.m.

Dave Raley, head engineer for the airport, said that aviation officials with the state Department of Transportation have already told the commission that the local airport was left out of the recently approved stimulus package.

Raley explained that $1.2 billion was allocated for aviation in the stimulus plan, with $60 million going to aviation needs in the southern United States. Of that, $40 million is allocated for airports and airlines in Atlanta and Charlotte. Of the remaining $20 million for the region, North Carolina got $2 million, which was earmarked for an airport in the western end of the state.

The officials also had concerns about future aviation funding.

"They are beginning to suspect that this stimulus money is not in addition to the usual aviation appropriation but instead of it," Raley said. He said that, if this is true, it would be a worse outcome for the Laurinburg-Maxton airbase than if Congress had never passed the stimulus package.

Raley discussed several current grant-based projects that may be in jeopardy, including some modest runway renovations.

Paul Davis, airport director, said that the airport was getting about $150,000 annually for repairs from federal aviation funds. He stressed that the airport was reliant on the money to continue its current operations.

The Washington-based lobbyist firm Marlowe and Company was hired to work on behalf of the airport for federal funds.

Expected at Friday's meeting will be elected officials for Laurinburg, Maxton and Scotland County along with Reps. Garland Pierce and Doug Yongue, Sen. Bill Purcell and aviation officials with the state department of transportation.

The meeting, called "Airport's Economic Advantage Forum," will be held at Scotland Place.