Photo: Gerry Dincher from Hope Mills, NC · CC BY-SA 2.0Laurinburg spent less per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Laurinburg’s city government spent $8 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $538 per resident. Water and other utilities ($29.6 million) are counted separately.
City Council
6:00 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 221, 303 W. Church Street
All meetings →What stands out about how Laurinburg is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
2 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Laurinburg’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov17City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 221, 303 W. Church StreetCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec15City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 221, 303 W. Church StreetCity Council Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct20City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 221, 303 W. Church StreetCity Council Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Sep22City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 221, 303 W. Church StreetCity Council Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
- Aug11City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 221, 303 W. Church StreetCity Council Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
- Jul21City CouncilTuesday · 6:00 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 221, 303 W. Church StreetCity Council Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
- Jun29City CouncilMonday · 5:00 pm · City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 221, 303 W. Church StreetCity Council Regular Meeting (Reconvene June 16, 2026 Meeting)Minutes ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $538 per resident a year, or $1.47 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 48%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$819 per resident in 2022: less than 72% of them
Laurinburg’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($819 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 36 North Carolina cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,150, and the middle half spent $810–$1,468. Laurinburg spent less than 72% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($5.9 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
North Carolina cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Laurinburg itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is down 34% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Laurinburg reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $819 · 2023: $500 · 2024: $538.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
Who’s in charge in Laurinburg
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: laurinburg.org ↗
The typical homeowner pays $1,396 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.04% of the home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Laurinburg’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Laurinburg’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Laurinburg →
One full-time city employee for every 104 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (14,908).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Scotland County Schools
Laurinburg’s K–12 school district, shared with Gibson, Wagram. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,928 per pupil, $8,782 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
North Carolina districts overall: 26% local, 57% state, 17% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Laurinburg’s votes are counted by county
North Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Laurinburg alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Scotland County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican53.1%7,767 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.2%6,754 votesOthers: 0.7% (105 votes).
Most votes in Scotland County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Laurinburg lies in Scotland County. Every 2024 race in Scotland County is on the county’s page.
Scotland County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Laurinburg.
- 1Your cityMayorJames T. Willisas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2North Carolina HouseState representatives
- 3North Carolina SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Carolina
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Laurinburg’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Laurinburg’s government
How much does Laurinburg spend per resident?
About $538 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $819 was less than 72% of 36 North Carolina cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Laurinburg?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,396 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.04% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see laurinburg.org.
Who is the mayor of Laurinburg?
James T. Willis, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on laurinburg.org.
How did Laurinburg vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Laurinburg alone. Scotland County, where 100% of Laurinburg lies, voted Trump 53.1%, Harris 46.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Laurinburg?
144 full-time and 16 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $609,176 (about $7.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Laurinburg in the state legislature?
State Senate District 24 (Danny Britt) and State House District 48 (Garland Pierce). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Laurinburg?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Tuesday, November 17, at 6:00 pm in City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 221, 303 W. Church Street, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Laurinburg’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →