Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I am greatly concerned about the future of the place I love, Mathews County. I believe we citizens need to take the time to get to know the candidates and their platforms before casting our votes. Now is not the time to simply vote for who we know or for those identifying with a political party we support in broader elections. In this local election, we should think about the past two years and ask ourselves, “What have our leaders really accomplished and are they heading in the right direction?” We should then vote for those who have the best interests of all the citizens at heart.

I intend to vote for change that will unify and restore common sense to Mathews. That is why I am casting my vote for the following candidates for Mathews Board of Supervisors: Tom Bowen, Tim Doss and Janice Hudgins Phillips. These candidates will listen to their constituents and deliver the results the county so desperately needs. They will focus on economic development that improves our tax base, tax relief, and schools that attract and retain the best teachers.

In terms of the school board, I am voting for the candidates who have spent time in the classroom and who can best collaborate with our newly elected Board of Supervisors to improve our schools for our children. These candidates are Desmond Smith, Mary Kathryn Diggs and Tina Bull Broaddus.

Susan Quinlan
Port Haywood, Va.