By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Oct. 18, 2018) Once and future Snow Hill Mayor Stephen Mathews confirmed on Tuesday he would take over for departing Mayor Charlie Dorman, who will leave the post on Oct. 31.

Mathews will be sworn in on Nov. 1 and will serve until a special election is held next May.

Dorman abruptly announced his resignation during a Town Council meeting last Tuesday. He then released a statement on Monday claiming he had become “a figurehead only as the mayor, with no authority anymore.”

Meanwhile, the Town Council on Monday released an editorial letter stating, “There had been actions by the mayor that we believed to be in violation of the duties … as specified in the Town Charter.”

Mathews, 72, a self-described army brat, said he spent the majority of his adult life as a police officer in Washington, D.C.

He is no stranger to taking over after a controversial Snow Hill Mayor has left office, having previous succeeded “the porno mayor, who got arrested for pornography.”

Former Mayor Craig Johnson in 1998 was removed from office by a council vote and charged with two counts of malfeasance. A former sheriff’s deputy, Johnson allegedly allowed photographers from the internet site “The Wetlands” to use county police equipment, including a police car, in a nude photo shoot.

“It was a mess,” Mathews said. “My commitment to the town was to stabilize and to have some consistency. That’s why I served for 14 years. And I had a good working relationship with my council.”

This time, he said the council approached him.

“I made it real clear that I would be more than happy to fill in – until the election,” he said. “I have no intentions of running again.”

Mathews said he read Dorman’s statement and understood the council was drafting a response.

“I imagine they’re pretty pissed,” he said.

“You step into something like that, because I’m not Charlie Dorman. I’m not the council,” Mathews continued. “It’s my job to pick the oars back up and start steering the ship in the right direction. I don’t have an agenda in this at all, other than to work with the council.”

He added, “I think it is truly sad what has happened.”

“I talked with Charlie prior to him becoming mayor. He had this perception that I had all of this power and I tried to explain to him that, if you really want power, it’s the council that’s got he power,” Mathews said. “The mayor just merely carries out what the charter says … and works with the council on doing what’s best for the town.

“Somehow or another that has gotten lost,” he continued. “I think Charlie perceived me as going out and doing things, but the stuff I went out and did I always communicated with the council. I always had the council’s blessing and the council always knew what I was doing.”

Mathews said he sees the town moving forward – without Dorman – and continuing to grow.

“In every small municipality, you always have personalities, but the council, from my conversations with them, they really want to see the Town of Snow Hill grow, and they are really upset of this misperception that they are against growth and against businesses. I don’t think anything could be farther from the truth,” he said.

Mathews said the next mayor should simply be “someone who can work with people.”

“It’s not an easy job,” he said. “In small towns, you have no boundaries. People reach out to you all the time for numerous different things and you have to understand that.”

He also said it is not an easy thing to attract new business to a small town.

“Small town businesses struggle and they really need the support of the community that lives in that town,” he said. “We have a great river. This is a great town to live in. We have a very low crime rate. It’s safe. But, unfortunately, we are not a Berlin. We are not an Ocean City. We are just far enough away from that, that it’s hard to be a destination.”

Pocomoke, meanwhile, has the advantage of large chain stores and an industrial park, Mathews said.

“The businesspeople in Snow Hill are very, very dedicated to this town, to this community, and they did not start these businesses to get rich,” he said. “They are a part of the community – and an integral part of the community.

“It truly is a shame what has happened between Charlie and the council,” Mathews added.