D.R. “Don” Matthews has announced his candidacy for the District Three seat on the Buckingham County Board of Supervisors.

The Republican candidate faces independent Charles Meek in the Nov. 3 election.

“I have been a merchant and businessman in Buckingham County for 25 years,” he said in a statement. “I owned and operated Sheppards’ Country Corner located in the small community of Sheppards prior to my retirement in 2011. I have experienced the economic impact of limited county resources on businesses, but I have also seen how the community flourishes when businesses become an integral part of the community,” he said.

Matthews said he supports strong schools, community

involvement, countywide fiscal responsibility and economic growth for Buckingham.

“I believe the relationship of business, community and education is a strong defense against economic downturns and allows residents the opportunity to live, grow and support their families in our community,” he said. “I will be an advocate for business and economic development, accountability of the governing body, but I do not support continued tax increases. I am concerned over the $47 million debt the county carries on its books. We must find ways to work with less and continue to build a stronger county,” Matthews said.

According to his statement, Matthews graduated from East Carolina University in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a minor in business. “My wife, Donna, and I moved to Virginia where I became the store manager for Big Star, which was located in the Southgate Shopping Center [in] Farmville”

He said Buckingham’s residents were “divided in terms of the library and the pipeline but we must work together to understand how each of these resources impact our way of life in this beautiful community we call home.”

Matthews said he stands for leadership and integrity. “I am conservative in my thoughts and actions,” he said.