Millboro Ruritan Club Hosts Debate For Bath County Treasurer Candidates

Millboro, VA – On Thursday October 13, the Millboro Ruritan Club hosted a debate for the candidates for the office of Treasurer of Bath County. The event was held at Millboro Elementary School and all seven candidates attended, R. Sue Ailstock, Richard B. Byrd, Shirley M. Matheny, Janet F. Plecker, Bonnie Jo Robertson, Pamela H. Webb and Sandra W. Williams.

In this story you’ll hear four candidates responding to the question: What background do you bring to the office and what technical qualities do you have that makes you the best candidate for the office of Treasurer?

Sue Ailstock – “I worked at the phone company for many years. There I used my customer service skills to serve our customers. And I feel like that good customer service is really needed in an office, especially dealing with the public. I also have my computer skills, I have Word, Excel. I loved working with the public on a daily basis.”

Richard Byrd – “My career in numbers began when I joined the Army of the 82nd Airborne as I become a Supply Sergeant for an infantry division. I had to maintain the quality, the proper amounts and pay for them accordingly. Then I came home and I went to work at The Homestead. I worked there in purchasing for ten years. Got transferred there and went into accounting and I worked in accounts receivable, accounts payable, statistics, general ledger, which is nothing but debits and credits. I left there and I went into security and I became the Director of Security. There I was responsible for all the numbers. I have created budgets for twenty years for the Bath County Board of Supervisors. I never took my own thoughts or my own knowledge for granted, that I knew it all. I always went to the present Treasurer, Mary Susan Blankenship, and I asked What’s this number mean? Where did this one come from?’ I don’t know how many people in the room have looked at a Bath County Detailed Trial Balance. It’s easy to look at, it’s very difficult to understand.”

Shirley Matheny – “As far as a background in Accounting, I have a seventeen year background in accounting with The Homestead Resort. Started out in Accounts Receivable, went to payroll, payroll supervisor, special projects management, and then assistant controller at the resort. I studied spread sheeting in both Lotus and Excel. I’ve also studied Principles of Accounting. As far as technical, I’ve studied accruals in benefits in a modular system. I also created the first automated system at the resort that was ever used to track benefit hours, accruals and deductions from those hours.”

Janet Plecker – “I bring to the office of Treasurer, if elected, over thirty years of experience in accounting. I do the water billing, membership billing. I have great customer service skills. I have worked on budgeting with the resort, a number of computer classes; spreadsheets that would enhance different departments for the County, which I think would be an improvement.”