The Moore County Board of Commissioners worked through a broad agenda during the recent Jan. 20 meeting. Commissioners took action on matters spanning commercial air service, school funding, public safety, and county policy.
USGA Commits Funds Toward Commercial Air Service
The board approved an agreement authorizing County Manager Wayne Vest to sign a commitment from the United States Golf Association to contribute $150,000 toward a minimum revenue guarantee tied to proposed commercial airline service at Moore County Airport.
Vest told commissioners the agreement formalizes the USGA’s pledge to support efforts to attract scheduled commercial flights without using county tax dollars. The contribution would apply to a minimum revenue guarantee, a financial backstop required by airlines launching new service, reimbursing losses only if early passenger revenue falls short.
The county serves as the recipient of the contributed minimum revenue guarantee dollars.
At a meeting in August, the commissioners were presented data showing that Moore County generates enough passenger demand to support daily flights. The gathered data shows that 613 passengers travel to or from Moore County via the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) each day.
Board Chair Nick Picerno reiterated that the agreement does not obligate county funds.
“This does not commit one penny of taxpayer dollars to this revenue fund,” Picerno said. “We expect any business in Moore County not to be subsidized by Moore County taxpayers for this kind of service. So, if it can’t stand on its own, then obviously we just assume it [won’t] happen.”
A motion was made and passed unanimously.
School Funding and Union Pines Turf Project
Later, the board voted to request that Moore County Schools use lapsed salary funds from vacant school resource officer (SRO) positions to complete funding for an artificial turf project at Union Pines High School.
Previously, the board allocated $1 million in July 2025 for artificial turf at Union Pines and North Moore high schools, based on estimated costs of about $600,000 per field. In December, the Moore County Convention and Visitors Bureau awarded the school system a $120,000 grant toward the Union Pines project. The remaining balance is reported to be about $480,000, which the county asked the school system to cover using unspent salary dollars from unfilled SRO positions.
Picerno said the SRO funding was originally approved for a specific purpose and that unspent funds should therefore still be available. He said the county is seeking to avoid committing new money to the project while completing the original funding plan.
Artificial turf would reportedly reduce maintenance costs, ease water demands, and support revenue-generating events that bring visitors to Moore County.
Commissioner Tom Adams raised concerns about drainage and construction issues at the Union Pines athletic complex. He explained that in the past, he had been alerted to issues with water pooling and washout problems on the existing field. Adams said the turf must be installed correctly to prevent long-term damage.
“If we’re going to have a new field, we need to be sure that it is in fact installed correctly so that we’re not here looking six or seven years from now at having a portion of the field rot out from the fact that water stood on top of it,” Adams added.
Agreeing, Commissioner Kurt Cook also pointed to the broader uses of the turf field beyond football, including soccer, band competitions, graduations, and community events.
Cook also requested a future presentation regarding SROs to review the school board’s plans, activities, training, equipment, and leadership for protecting students, citing never having seen them presented to the board.
“I want to see what their plans are, what their activities are, what they need to safeguard our children,” said Cook. “They’re a frontline of security for our children in the school systems. I want to know that they have the best training plan and equipment and leadership possible to safeguard our most precious, valued assets.”
The motion passed without opposition.
Other Business
• County Manager Wayne Vest announced that an emergency shelter will be open this weekend in anticipation of potential winter weather. Board Chair Nick Picerno encouraged residents who need shelter or warming assistance to make use of the facility. The shelter will open Friday at 3 p.m. at the county Parks and Recreation site, located at 155 Hillcrest Park Lane in Carthage.
• Commissioners also approved new guidelines governing the public comment period at regular board meetings. Under the policy, the board will determine the placement of public comment on the agenda, with the total comment period capped at 30 minutes. Individual speakers will be limited to three minutes, with the option to receive one additional three-minute allotment yielded by another registered speaker on the same topic. Participation will be limited to individuals with a direct connection to Moore County, and the policy specifies guidelines on decorum, prohibits personal attacks and profanity, and clarifies that commissioners are not required to engage in back-and-forth discussion during comments.
• The board approved a letter of support for the National Special Forces Green Beret Memorial Park, endorsing its proposed location in Moore County. Commissioners said the memorial would honor U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers of all eras and serve as a national tribute and future tourist destination.
• Commissioners also voted to dissolve the county’s remaining task force committees, following earlier dissolutions in 2025. The action formally ends the Budget, Economic Development, Homeless and Community Outreach, Law Enforcement and Veterans, and Solid Waste task forces. County staff will continue to work directly with the board and individual commissioners on research and policy matters related to county operations and services rather than confining themselves to task force committees.
To watch the meeting video, please click here.
Abegail Murphy | Assistant Editor
Article by Sandhills Sentinel Assistant Editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
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