The fate of the Confederate monument in Mathews will be placed in the hands of county voters.

By a 5-0 vote Wednesday night at Mathews High School, the Mathews County Board of Supervisors decided it will petition the circuit court to have the matter placed on the November 2021 ballot.

Details of exactly what voters will be asked to consider—such as where the monument would be moved to (if it is moved), the associated costs, whether there should be a plaque or marker to contextualize the current monument—have yet to be worked out.

During board discussion, Mathews County Attorney Andrea Erard said that supervisors have plenty of time to prepare the language for next year’s ballot and suggested holding a work session at some point to come up with the details.

The decision followed an at-times contentious public hearing with impassioned pleas by residents, both for and against removing the monument.

Supporters of keeping the monument in place view it as a war memorial and t...