By Miles Layton

EDENTON — For Larry McLaughlin, the case for another term on the Chowan County Board of Commissioners starts with a simple fact: he’s not going anywhere.

McLaughlin, a Republican seeking his third term representing District 2, has called Chowan County home for 32 years. Both of his children came up through the Chowan County school system — his son graduated from John A. Holmes High School, and his daughter was accepted into the North Carolina School of Science and Math. Both went on to Duke University. “My daughter’s a lawyer and my son’s a doctor,” McLaughlin said. “I can’t ask for anything more.”

McLaughlin’s former wife also spent her career in Chowan County schools, working her way up to assistant principal. McLaughlin himself has worn several hats in the county over the decades. He spent most of his working life in construction, renovating homes and buying and fixing up rental properties. From 1997 to 2000, he served as a Chowan County magistrate, a role that put him in close contact with the courthouse and local law enforcement. He’s coached youth league soccer and was involved with the local Scout troop. From 2006 to 2012, he taught drafting and architectural drawing at the high school before the program was discontinued, at which point he returned to construction work — a trade he still practices today, most recently finishing a renovation of his own barn.

That hands-on background, McLaughlin said, has shaped how he approaches his role on the board.

“I feel very much a part of Chowan County,” McLaughlin said. “I call it home, and I love the place. I love the surroundings. I love my property, which I work on and keep improving. And I enjoy giving back.”

Stewardship of county property

McLaughlin said one of his central campaign promises eight years ago was to take better care of the county’s existing buildings and infrastructure, and he points to several projects completed during his tenure as evidence of that commitment.

Chief among them was the restoration of the county courthouse, which McLaughlin said was in poor condition both inside and out before repairs were made. He also described a lesser-known fix at the agricultural building on North Granville Street, where his construction background proved useful. After the county’s maintenance director and county manager investigated a recurring roof problem, they discovered original attic ventilation ductwork had been removed and never replaced, causing the attic to overheat and curl the shingles. Drawing on his institutional knowledge of the building’s original design, McLaughlin studied the original drawings so the ventilation system could be restored as intended.

A similar fix came at the county library, where a leaking balcony door in the upstairs conference room had damaged the carpet for years. At McLaughlin’s suggestion, the door was removed and replaced with a window. “You had to get it designed. Had to be designed so that contractors could bid on it apples to apples,” McLaughlin said of the process, noting the work was completed before hurricane season that year.

McLaughlin currently chairs the county’s Capital Improvement Plan Committee, which maps out long-term maintenance and spending for county-owned facilities including the library, courthouse, agricultural building and Northern County Community Center. “Making sure that things are on track to be maintained is an essential part of being frugal and prudent with the county’s tax money, so that you don’t have these big expenses,” he said.

Working with the school board

McLaughlin also pointed to closer coordination between the commission and the Chowan County Board of Education as a hallmark of his time in office. He serves on a joint committee — informally called the “five on five” — that includes County Manager Kevin Howard and County Commissioner Bob Kirby, County Finance Officer Kathy Smith, and school board members Tammy Ward, George Lewis and Sheila Evans, along with the school system’s finance officer Sandy Pitman. Superintendent Tammi Ward. The group meets every two months to review the school system’s budget pressures and priorities.

“We get briefed on where they’re coming from, which has been helpful,” McLaughlin said, adding that the arrangement marks a step up in cooperation compared to past administrations. He said the experience of navigating change orders during construction of the new high school — including unexpected costs tied to hurricane-rated windows — reinforced the value of commissioners staying engaged with school building projects from the design phase onward, a lesson he said will be relevant as the county eventually confronts needed upgrades at the middle school.

Growth, development and data centers

Asked about the growth pressures facing Chowan County as development spreads south from Hampton Roads, McLaughlin described the balance as “a double-edged sword.” He said the county’s zoning laws and development ordinances — grounded in a mission to preserve Chowan County’s rural character — will need continued attention as new subdivisions are proposed. “You want to have growth, but you also don’t want to be overrun,” McLaughlin said. “Best we can do is to manage that.”

He said he would not personally favor a data center locating in Chowan County, but supports putting ordinances in place — such as requiring any future facility to locate in an industrial-zoned area — so the county is prepared if one is ever proposed. “We need to get ahead of it and get some ordinances in place,” he said, “so in the event something is proposed, we’ll be able to deal with it legally.”

Fiscal approach

McLaughlin acknowledged the county’s newly adopted budget includes a two-and-a-half-cent property tax increase, which he attributed to the cost of the county’s new agreement with the Albemarle District Jail, new state-driven obligations for the Department of Social Services, and raises for county employees after years without one. He said the raises were necessary to retain deputies and other county staff who might otherwise leave for higher pay elsewhere.

Even so, McLaughlin described himself as a fiscal conservative who pushes back on costs he sees as excessive. He recalled a proposal to repair a pedestrian bridge behind the agricultural building that came in at an estimated $475,000. “That’s no good. It’s way too high,” McLaughlin said he told the county manager. After visiting the site himself, McLaughlin said the county was able to replace the decking and handrails for roughly $69,000. “That’s a good example of what I can provide,” he said. “Is there another way we could do this? Because you’re spending my money.”

Accessible to constituents

McLaughlin said his experience and long-standing ties to the community set him apart in the race. He pointed to his availability to constituents as a point of pride, noting his personal cell phone number is posted on the county website. “You got a problem, my number is right there on the website,” he said. “Call me anytime. I’ll get the answer you need or help you out. Whatever I can do.”

Looking ahead, McLaughlin said he wants to see the county communicate more proactively with residents about upcoming projects, such as a planned reverse osmosis water treatment system prompted by new state standards. “It’s one thing to know what’s coming,” he said. “It’s another thing to get run over.”

Above all, McLaughlin said his motivation for seeking a third term comes down to service. “I really enjoy being of service to people in the county,” he said. “I think that’s my main thrust.”