Mathews County Supervisor Amy Dubois, a former small business owner herself, said the board of supervisors has a vision for small businesses that includes encouraging water-based tourism; pushing to get high-speed internet that can support innovation and work-from-home-type businesses; and being supportive and welcoming to businesses that make sense for the county, including senior citizen businesses.

“These businesses provide jobs, promote tourism, and further economic development,” she said. “They also help our young professionals and families have choices that enable them to stay in Mathews.”

According to Bette Dillehay, chair of the Mathews Main Street Committee, small businesses in Mathews were innovative during the pandemic, finding ways to operate that enabled them to minimize the effect of government closures and restrictions and stay in business in spite of the circumstances.

While Main Street helped the county obtain rebates for such pandemic-related costs as cleani...