Mathews supervisors had lots of good news Tuesday night to carry them into the holidays, from a glowing financial report by Davenport and Company to news from the Broadband Advisory Board that broadband is now available to an additional 642 customers in the county.

The news was not as cheerful for residents hoping for additional tax relief on their personal property bills, as the board declined to take action on increasing the tax relief percentage during the meeting, which was held in the historic courthouse.

Financial report

Davenport Senior VP David Rose told the board that the county’s finances have been well-managed, pointing out the continued growth in the fund balance that occurred over the past five years, the solid cash flows, and the modest amount of debt that gets paid down quickly. He said the county is in a very good position relative to other counties.

With the fund balance at 26 percent of the county’s budget, Rose said Mathews is “slightly above your peers”...