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Mathews County supervisors elect Tom Bowen chair, postpone code revisions and reappoint county clerk roles
Summary
At its Jan. 6 organizational meeting, the Mathews County Board of Supervisors elected Tom Bowen chair, adopted a resolution thanking outgoing chair Tim Doss, postponed adoption of a revised code of ethics, bylaws and rules of procedure to Jan. 15, reappointed the county administrator as clerk and Judy Green as deputy clerk, and voted to enter closed session on pending litigation and a personnel matter.
Tom Bowen was elected chair of the Mathews County Board of Supervisors during the board’s organizational meeting on Jan. 6, 2026, a vote that members carried unanimously.
The board also adopted a resolution thanking outgoing 2025 Chair Tim Doss for his service. "Greatly appreciate that," Doss said after the board's remarks of appreciation.
The meeting featured extended review of a proposed code of ethics and the board bylaws. Several supervisors suggested specific edits — including striking the word "equitable" from one ethics bullet and replacing the verb "should" with the stronger "will" in a gratuities clause — and flagged inconsistent phrasing about majority votes and quorum in multiple bylaw paragraphs. To allow more time for review and to seek clearer, consistent language, the board voted to postpone final adoption of the code of ethics, the bylaws and an updated set of rules of procedure until the board’s regular meeting on Jan. 15, 2026.
An unnamed board member summed up the legal restraint: "The board can only take actions by the board by vote in a regular and properly noticed meeting," a point raised during discussion to clarify when consensus outside a meeting is acceptable and when formal action must be taken.
The board approved a resolution reappointing the county administrator as clerk of the board and naming Judy Green as deputy clerk in the administrator’s absence; the motion passed by roll call. The board also adopted its regular meeting schedule (Thursday evenings at 6:00 p.m., as presented) and approved the county holiday schedule matching the state calendar.
Supervisors made appointments and designated alternates to multiple regional and local bodies, including the Bay Consortium Workforce Board, broadband and Main Street/market days committees, the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission and other entities. Noted assignments included David Walsh as the broadband advisory representative and Patrick Beatty taking a planning commission role; Tim Doss was named liaison for emergency services matters.
Staff briefed supervisors on training and compliance requirements for newly seated members, including a budget module and FOIA training. Board members were reminded that FOIA training and the statement-of-economic-interest filings must be completed within the statutory 60-day window; staff said certificates and the forms are due by Feb. 2.
Near the end of the meeting, the board voted unanimously to enter a closed session under Virginia Code for two matters: consultation with legal counsel on pending litigation and discussion of the performance of a public employee. The board cited the statutory authority and the pending case, "Hole in the Wall LLC v. Mathews County and Ramona Wilson," case number kcl 25000220-00, as part of the motion. After returning to open session, each member certified that the closed-session discussion was limited to the matters listed in the motion. The meeting adjourned by unanimous vote.
The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2026, when members said they will revisit the deferred code of ethics, bylaws and rules of procedure.
