The Mathews County Board of Supervisors didn’t take long passing a 7-cent real estate tax increase on Tuesday, but they wrangled for a while over a budget prepared by County Administrator Mindy Conner that included a proposed overall 13 percent increase in salaries for administration employees.

Supervisor Edwina Casey moved to approve the tax increase, with fellow board member Charles Ingram suggesting that it be lowered. But there was no support for Ingram’s suggestion, and the vote to approve the rate was 4-1, with Ingram voting against. The resulting real estate tax rate will be 64.5 cents per $100 of assessed value.

The remaining tax rates—$3.70 per $100 of assessed value on automobiles, light trucks and motorcycles; $1.45 per $100 on boats, and $2.14 per $100 on business equipment, campers, trailers and other property—remain unchanged.

On the $26.57 million budget, supervisor Mike Rowe objected to Conner’s proposed salary increase for administ...