Editor, Gazette-Journal:

In 1791, part of Gloucester County broke away to form an independent county known as Mathews. This new community had the ability to sustain itself through the shipbuilding and fishing industries. The question today is Mathews County generating enough revenue to sustain the modern-day services necessary to compete with surrounding communities?

The foundation of any community is a strong education system. Local schools are responsible for preparing each new generation in order to provide a workforce capable of carrying on the businesses of the community. Mathews County is on the verge of not being able to sustain a school system capable of meeting future demands. Without highly-qualified schools, there is no incentive for young families or couples wishing to start a family to move to Mathews.

If young professionals are unwilling to settle in Mathews, then services related to health, home maintenance, automotive repair, legal matters, etc., will be non-existent...