Glennda Morse is seeking the Commissioner of Revenue position in the November election against Tabiha Overby.
The current commissioner of revenue Cindy Kendrick will retire on December 31.
Morse, 57, said she believes technology is the biggest challenge the commissioner’s office is facing.
“There are some things that we can do to help taxpayers and our offices address that. We are still not online as far as reading deeds and wills, and if that was online, then that would make it much easier for the clerk’s office,” she said.
Because technology is ever-changing, Morse believes the office needs to keep up, using funding from the county’s budget.
“Unfortunately, technology changes are expensive, and it would have to be approved by the Board of Supervisors and that money set aside in” and “appropriated in the budget for that,” she said.
Morse believes having the public involved in the decision-making process is important.
“All taxpayers need to have a voice, and yes, come in and that’s what we’re here for, that’s what your Board of Supervisors is for,” she said.
The county’s tax rates and the elderly tax relief are set by the Board of Supervisors, she said, adding “When you give the tax relief when you increase tax relief, the money has to come back from somewhere it has to be recouped,” she said. “We just can’t lose that money, someone’s going to make up that difference in the tax revenue.”
Morse said county residents can also come into the commissioner’s office to sit down and talk about an assessment if they disagree with it.
“If you’ve got your truck value way high, then let’s figure it out. A lot of times assessments can’t be changed, but we will listen,” she said.
While she supports transparency in government, Morse said there are some things the office cannot talk about with the public.
“We go to the Board of Supervisors, the department heads, and give the reports,” she said.
Morse said the commissioner of revenue’s office has always excelled, in part because of the past commissioners.
“I want to follow in their footsteps with how they run that office and the policies they have in place,” she said.
However, the one major change she believes the office could use is updating technology.
Morse has worked for the Patrick County government for 22 years. She started in the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) before moving into Building Inspections and then county administration.
Morse has been with the Treasurer’s Office for 16 years and is a Master Deputy Treasurer.
“I’ve seen the front end of this. You know, when you title a vehicle in the DMV and you put that jurisdiction code in, and if that’s wrong then that’s going to affect everything down the line. That affects the commissioner’s office and the treasurer’s office,” Morse said, adding she knows the importance of getting that and other information correct.
Morse said a lot of the same programs that are used in the Commissioner of Revenue’s Office are also used in the Treasurer’s Office.
“Our offices cross paths many times a day. We use a lot of the same programs, so it’s not like there’s going to be a learning curve for me to learn those. I know those,” she said.
Morse graduated from Franklin County High School and received her Master Governmental Deputy Treasurer certification from the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service in 2011.
She has been married to her husband, Tommy, for 28 years. The couple have two children, Zachary and Kristen, and three grandchildren.
In her free time, Morse enjoys being outdoors, kayaking, and spending time with her grandchildren.
