Editing Tabor City, North Carolina (section)

=== 1980s–2010 ===

By the eighties, tobacco use began declining.  Along with global recession, the town and its people took another severe hit.<ref>"Unemployment continued to rise in 1982 as the recession deepened" (PDF). Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor. Retrieved October 15, 2018.</ref>  More businesses closed and parts of downtown looked deserted as empty buildings fell into disrepair.  Tens of millions in US government grants poured into the city beginning in the mid-1980s until present day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/whiteville/docs/954_spring__summer_2020-website/s/10610846|title=Al Leonard - $80 Million Man|website=issuu}}</ref><ref name="auto5">{{Cite web|url=https://govsalaries.com/leonard-al-104406113|title=Leonard Al &#124; GovSalaries}}</ref>  The decline in Tabor City was similar to neighboring towns of [[Fair Bluff, North Carolina]], [[Broadman, North Carolina]], [[Brunswick, North Carolina]], [[Cerro Gordo, North Carolina]], and [[Chadbourn, North Carolina]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/02/climate/climate-towns-bankruptcy.html|title=Climate Change Is Bankrupting America's Small Towns|first1=Christopher|last1=Flavelle|first2=Mike|last2=Belleme|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 2, 2021}}</ref>  A town manager was hired to handle administrative duties of the town,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wect.com/story/17402115/columbus-county-man-on-5-town-payrolls|title=Columbus Co. man works on 5 town payrolls|first=Ann|last=McAdams|website=wect.com|date=April 13, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wwaytv3.com/fair-bluff-town-manager-doesnt-like-to-see-himself-tv-wont-address-employee-who-wrecked-c/|title=Fair Bluff Town Manager doesn't like to see himself on TV; Won't address employee who wrecked car|date=February 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Al_Leonard,_Jr.|title=Al Leonard, Jr.|website=Ballotpedia}}</ref><ref>https://www.linkedin.com/in/al-leonard-jr-9b567612 {{Self-published source|date=June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.circleofblue.org/2019/world/the-rural-dilemma-qa-with-al-leonard-fair-bluff-town-manager/|title=The Rural Dilemma: Q&A With Al Leonard, Fair Bluff Town Manager|first=Brett|last=Walton|date=June 5, 2019}}</ref>

The year 1984, saw a group of townspeople come together to promote economic development in the town.  An investment fund was accumulated through donations. Several projects were completed over the following decades. Most projects have seen the group acquire properties which end up receiving multimillion-dollar government grants.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.taborcitycommittee100.com/about|title=Tabor City Committee of 100 &#124; About|website=Tcc100}}</ref>

The dismissal of Police Chief Willie Gore in 1993 sparked a period of weekly protest marches since many felt the chief's dismissal was racist in nature.  The marches were peaceful, though overreaction by the all white police force led to the mostly African American crowd being met with pepper spray on multiple occasions.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Perlmutt |first=David |date=October 22, 1993 |title=Racial Unrest in Tabor City |pages=1 |work=[[The Charlotte Observer]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84648745/racial-unrest-in-tabor-city/ |access-date=September 3, 2021}} (and the [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84649167/tabor-city-unrest-jump/ jump])</ref>

In late 1997, a massive facelift was performed on two blocks of S. Main Street in the downtown area. [[Southern Living]] magazine made contact with town leaders about an article they were doing about Christmas celebrations in small southern towns. For many decades, the town traditionally held an annual daytime Christmas parade. Storefronts were painted, new retro lampposts installed, and other aesthetic improvements costing tens of thousands of dollars were made in order to have a nighttime Christmas parade. A photo of the parade and short write-up were included in an article in the December 1997 issue of [[Southern Living]] magazine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://backissues.com/issue/Southern-Living-December-1997|title=backissues.com - Southern Living December 1997 - Product Details|website=backissues.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/SOUTHERN-LIVING-MAGAZINE-DECEMBER-1997/dp/B004FN7ROK|title=SOUTHERN LIVING MAGAZINE DECEMBER 1997|first1=Jean|last1=Allsopp|first2=Jo|last2=Kellum|first3=Elle|last3=Barrett|first4=Jan|last4=Faucett|first5=Eleanor|last5=Griffin|first6=Tina|last6=Cornett|first7=Charlie|last7=Thigpen|first8=Jackie|last8=Mills|first9=Valerie|last9=Fraser|first10=Julia H.|last10=Thomason|first11=Van|last11=Chaplin|editor-first=John Alex Floyd|editor-last=Jr|date=January 1, 1997|publisher=Southern Living|via=Amazon}}</ref>

Today, the town focuses on agriculture, light manufacturing, retail and tourism. In addition, a large state prison provides many jobs for the area. Being so close to the coastal areas of [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina|Myrtle Beach]] and the [[Brunswick County, North Carolina|Brunswick County]] beaches has led to a growth in the area housing industry.<ref name="history" />

The Centennial Clock celebrating the town's 100th anniversary was installed on Main Street.  It was donated by a local business leader. 
The Freedom Flag Trilogy, which is located at the entrance to town on Hwy 701N, was first flown July 4, 2007.<ref name="places to see">{{cite web|url=http://townoftaborcity.org/visitor/places-to-see/ |title=Places to See |publisher=townoftaborcity.org |date=April 5, 2014 |access-date=April 22, 2014}}</ref>