During a brief special meeting last Wednesday afternoon, the Mathews County Board of Supervisors approved extending the deadline for collection of the first half of the 2013 real estate taxes.

Meeting in the historic courthouse, board members O.J. Cole and Charles Ingram and chairman Edwina Casey approved the measure that changes the due date from June 5 to June 14. Board members Neena Putt and Janine Burns were not in attendance.

The change in the collection date was made because, even though taxpayers would have been expected to have the requisite 14 days from receiving the bill to the due date, the county would be cutting it close to the statutory requirement.

County treasurer Wendy Stewart was on hand to explain the reason for the deadline extension. "It seems to be some confusion on how this is done," she said in a prepared statement, referring to the process of getting real estate invoices to residents.

"The Commissioner of the Revenue is in charge of the assessments of...