Mathews supervisors received a presentation last Thursday on the benefits of the county becoming a Certified Local Government. During the public comment period that followed at the meeting in the historic courthouse, several residents voiced opposition to such an action. In her presentation, Mathews Economic Development Authority treasurer Dee Russell pointed out that Mathews, with 16 properties listed on the National Register, could unlock federal funding, formalize the county’s preservation efforts, and protect the community’s heritage by becoming a Certified Local Government. She said the program establishes a partnership between local governments, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and the National Park Service that offers “a strategic path forward” for localities in their preservation efforts. Requirements for certification, she said, would be to establish a qualified historic preservation review commission, enact a local historic district ordinance to designate and pr...