By Stefanie Jackson
Charlene Gray wants to serve as Northampton County’s commissioner of the revenue for a second term.
“It is my pleasure each day to serve the citizens of this great county,” she said.
Gray served as the deputy commissioner of the revenue for 25 years before being elected commissioner of the revenue in November 2015.
For the past three years, Gray’s motto has been, “Customers First in All That We Do.” The goal was easy to achieve “because I have a great group of people on my team; they are dedicated and committed to the task and to the citizens of this county,” Gray said.
The commissioner’s office is responsible for assessing Northampton’s real estate and personal property – about 16,000 parcels and nearly 22,000 items of personal property.
During Gray’s first term, two real estate reassessments were conducted, with the 2018 reassessment completed on time. State and local budgets were processed in a timely manner, and the turnaround time on rehab property applications was five days.
Under Gray’s leadership, the maximum household income level for the elderly and handicapped tax relief program was raised, meaning more taxpayers qualified. Enrollment in the program increased.
Other services offered included “one-stop” business registration, Virginia state income tax preparation, and accelerated tax refund processing.
Gray has continued her education, taking courses on land use taxation, real estate assessment, advanced personal property training, business auditing, Virginia tax exemption, and the Virginia code. She is working toward her master commissioner’s certification.
Gray belongs to the Virginia Association of Local Tax Auditors and the Commissioner of the Revenue Association of Virginia. She is on the planning committee for the Commissioner of the Revenue Association’s 100th anniversary.
She was a leader at the Northampton Youth Cultural Enrichment Camp in 2017 and has served as a Boys and Girls Club mentor and coach.
Gray graduated from Northampton High School in 1979 and received her associate degree in computer technology from ECPI (East Coast Polytechnic Institute), in Norfolk.
She is the daughter of Bennie and Annie Gray, of Eastville, and the mother of Army Staff Sgt. Charmarletta Mapp, serving in Anchorage, Alaska.
“As your Commissioner of the Revenue, my team and I remain committed to providing polite, prompt, and professional service. We will continue to ensure fair and equitable assessing,” Gray said.
“I will continue to be accessible, accountable, and committed to the citizens of this county with my pledge to continue serving with honesty and integrity.”
