MAXTON — Maxton’s 1,856 eligible voters will have plenty of choices come Election Day as 11 candidates seek to fill three seats on the town’s Board of Commissioners.
They also have two candidates for mayor to choose from on Tuesday who have a combined 34 years of experience on the town board.
Incumbent Commissioner Emmett “Chip” Morton, who served on the board for 18 years, and former Councilwoman Geraldine McLaurin, who served on the board from 1991 to 2007, are vying to replace outgoing Mayor Sallie McLean. McLean, Maxton’s mayor the past four years, is not seeking another four-year term.
Morton, 59, currently runs the meat section at the local Safeway Market. He says he wants to be mayor to use his experience as a commissioner to bring “unity, leadership and guidance” to the five-member board, whose members he contends have not been working together for the past eight years.
“I’m giving up my seat as a commissioner because as mayor I think I can help get something done without all the bickering that’s been going on,” Morton said. “As mayor, I would have no agenda. I would only vote in the case of ties. My job would be to lead the town and commissioners in the right direction.”
Morton said the town needs to be run as a business, and that the board needs to move ahead and hire a town manager. The town has been operating with an interim manager for four years.
“We need an experienced manager who has a vision for the town’s future that may have been sparked by things they have seen in other cities,” he said. “We need this kind of experienced manager to move the town forward.”
McLaurin, 64, is the pastor of Holy Ground Church in Maxton, which she described as non-denominational. She also is a certified nursing assistant
“If elected, I will serve with truth, honesty and integrity,” she said.
McLaurin agrees with Morton that a town manager needs to be hired as soon as possible. She said that the new manager must lead the enforcement of the town’s existing ordinances and codes to ensure that everyone — town officials, employees and residents — are held “accountable.” f
“I want to work with the town manager, town officials and citizens to make Maxton attractive and progressive for the citizens, future businesses and the next generation,” she said.
While their opinions differ on how to address issues facing the community, 10 of 11 candidates for town commissioner who spoke with The Robesonian cited some of the same issues as being important. They include a desire for more business-minded individuals to serve on the board; more emphasis on business recruitment and job creation; a need for improving the appearance of the community; and the need for more recreational and educational programs for young people.
Observers of Maxton politics were hard pressed to remember a time when so many candidates were vying for three seats on the board. The candidates for the four-year terms include two incumbents, Mayor Pro Tem Cynthia “Tiny” Johnson and Victor R. Womack Sr. Incumbent Mark McEachin is not seeking re-election.
If Morton is successful in his bid for mayor, the town board will appoint someone to fill his vacated seat.
The following are the candidates for commissioner:
— Elizabeth O’Neal McEachin Gilmore: Gilmore, 66, is retired from the Social Security Administration. She says that Maxton “tremendously needs more jobs and business opportunities, greater financial stability, and an increase in social programs for all people.”
— Virgil L. Hutchinson: Hutchinson, 58, is an engineer. He says that economic revitalization is important for the community. His plans include starting a jobs-mentoring program for students.
— Cynthia “Tiny” Johnson: Johnson, the town’s current mayor pro tem, says she wants to “continue on the same paths” the commissioners and town are now traveling.
“The town has been in a financial bind and we have made progress in that area by making the town more financially sound,” she said. “Our workers are back working full-time, we received a $2.6 million grant for our waste water infrastructure, and we are in the process of hiring a new town manager.”
— Patricia Johnson: Johnson, 67, works part-time with Robeson Health Care in the area of substance abuse. Johnson says the town needs to do more to market vacant downtown buildings. She also says she would like to see the establishment of a Boys and Girls Club in Maxton.
— Nathaniel Edward Malloy: Malloy, 64, is a former employee of Railroad Friction in Laurinburg. He said there needs to be an emphasis on business recruitment and more educational opportunities for the town’s young people. He also said more public housing is needed.
— James McDougald: McDougald, 59, is a former town commissioner and owner of Express Laundry. He says Maxton needs to be run like the business it is, business people need to serve as commissioners, and emphasis needs to be placed on recruiting business to the community.
— Paul McDowell: McDowell, 53, is a former Maxton police chief. He now is a case manager for therapeutic foster care. He says the town needs to improve its finances, provide more money to the Police Department for drug enforcement, and offer more recreation and educational activities for young people.
— Robert Lee McRae: McRae, 70, worked for 50 years with federal government contracting and now works part-time with Murphy Brown. He says properties and buildings need to be cleaned up and efforts made to attract new businesses to the community.
— Jean Teeters: Teeters, 65, is the owner of Maxton Motors. She says there needs to be a major effort by the town to improve its appearance.
“You have to run a city like a business,” she said. “… I want people to be proud of the city they live in.”
— Victor R. Womack Sr.: Womack, 65, is a retired federal law enforcement officer with the U.S. Postal Service. He is concerned that the needs of Maxton residents from young people to seniors be met.
“I live in this town and want to see it grow,” he said. “We have a lot of untapped resources that haven’t been used. We need to think outside of the box.”
The final candidate, Harold Seate, did not reply to phone calls from The Robesonian.
