The Mathews County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting last Wednesday, May 28 at the historic courthouse.

The purpose of the meeting was to hold a closed session to handle two matters—a discussion of the performance of a specific appointee of the board and consultation with legal counsel regarding employment law and a specific employment agreement and addendum.

Upon returning to open meeting, the board unanimously approved an engagement agreement with attorney Jeff Rosen of the Virginia Beach firm Pender and Coward. According to county attorney Andrea Erard, Rosen will serve as outside counsel. Supervisors’ chair Tim Doss said in a subsequent telephone call that Rosen was being engaged in an advisory capacity and not for litigation purposes.

According to Rosen’s website, he focuses his practice on civil litigation, local government, labor and employment, and insurance defense.

The county has two employees in appointed positions—county administrator Ramona Wilson and Erard. Wilson was not in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting, but Erard was, and she and Rosen were both included in the closed session.

In November 2023, in the first meeting after that year’s election, the previous board of supervisors amended the county administrator’s employment contract to increase the amount of severance pay she would be provided in the event her employment was terminated against her will from six months of salary to 24 months of salary.