Billy Cook, 60, of Mathews, has announced his candidacy for a seat on the Mathews Board of Supervisors in the Nov. 7 election. He is running as a Republican.

Cook said the first thing he would like to accomplish if elected is to “bring the temperature down in the room” and bring professionalism and respect to the board. “There’s too much drama,” he said.

He also wants to ensure transparency by holding regular roundtable discussions with his constituents at a public location in order to give residents updates and answer their questions.

“I’m not a Facebook warrior,” he said. “I won’t go on there to answer questions, but I will sit down with the citizens.”

Cook said the board of supervisors needs to work with the school board to come up with solutions “so our kids can read and write and do arithmetic when they graduate.” He said he feels the schools are top heavy and that more emphasis needs to be placed on teaching, with teachers receiving competitive pay. With just 56 stud...