Three new Mathews County elected officials were sworn into office on Tuesday in a brief ceremony in Mathews Circuit Court.
Clerk of Courts Angie Ingram administered the Oath of Office to newly-elected supervisors Mike Walls and Dave Jones and school board member Bobby Dobson. They will take office on Jan. 1.
Around two dozen people attended the swearing-in, and each of the newly sworn officials addressed the roomful of supporters afterward.
Walls promised to do his best for the county over the next four years and said he would vote for “what I think is best for the whole of Mathews County.”
Jones said he had done “a lot of complaining” in board meetings but had decided to stop complaining and instead run for office and make changes. He told those present that “you might not always get what you want, but you’ll learn to trust us.” He encouraged residents to not be afraid to “come to the podium” during meetings, saying “I’ll be there for you and listen to you.”
Dobson said he hoped to justify the votes he had received while sitting on the school board and said the county needs to “get a couple more people on the board to get it going in the right direction.”
A press release from Mathews Republican Committee Chair Byron Rauch provided background on each of the newly sworn officials, pointing out that Walls and Jones were both candidates of the Republican Party, while Dobson ran as an independent, “as school board positions are non-partisan.”
Both Walls and Jones campaigned on keeping taxes low and bringing economic development to Mathews, said the release, while additionally Walls ran on increasing local job opportunities and maintaining and improving local waterways for recreational users and commercial fishermen, while Jones additionally campaigned on encouraging business opportunities and preserving Mathews County’s history.
Dobson ran on a platform of increased efficiency in school administration, said the release, focusing on programs that benefit students’ development and illustrate all aspects of history.