Scotland County elected officials and administrative staff met with local legislators recently to discuss community needs and request support for development of local projects.

Commissioners John Alford, Bob Davis, Guy McCook and Joyce McDow , County Manager Kevin Patterson and Economic Developer Greg Icard identified the runway upgrade at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport as a critical needs project during personal visits with Senator Bill Purcell and Representatives Garland Pierce and Doug Yongue.

The county contingent also asked local legislators to support Scotland County’s opposition to proposed legislation that would transfer the responsibility of secondary road maintenance to counties.

Patterson explained that the secondary road legislation, if approved, would translate into an additional 20 cents on the tax rate, a financial burden the County could not afford.

The majority of counties along with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners oppose the bill.

The Scotland group was in Raleigh for the annual County Assembly Day hosted by association. The event provides county elected officials and staff from across the state a forum to meet with State legislators one-on-one to advocate for local critical needs projects and to voice support or opposition to proposed legislation that directly affects counties.

The group continued on from Raleigh to Washington, D.C., where they met with U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell and with officials from the offices of Sens. Kay Hagen and Richard Burr.

Patterson said the local delegation again requested support for a runway upgrade at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport. Patterson added that the need for funds to develop a WestPoint Stevens Water transmission study and for a Scotland Place Senior Center expansion that would incorporate and Emergency Operations Center also was discussed.