Many people have asked me to describe what the Treasurer does. While the Treasurer is an elected official, the position is really apolitical. It is the duty of the Treasurer to serve all the citizens of Chesterfield County, equally, respectfully and to the best of our ability.
The Treasurer’s Office is one office, but performs many functions, which includes:
- Billing department
- Cash Receipts department
- Debt Collection department
- Investment Manager
- Accounting department
- Accounts Payable department
- Customer Service department
The Treasurer’s primary role is to bill and collect current and delinquent taxes and associated fees. This includes personal property and real estate taxes. We also collect State Income taxes for the Commonwealth of Virginia. As the County’s banker, all cash receipts come through and are recorded properly by the Treasurer’s Office.
As happens at times, taxes are overpaid for whatever reason – in these instances, the Treasurer is responsible for issuing refunds. This is done with the due diligence of research and timeliness. Our newly implemented tax management system works seamlessly with the County’s accounting system to accomplish this task.
The Treasurer also serves as Investment Manager for the County and certain related entities. Guided by a formal investment policy and a comprehensive cash flow analysis, the Treasurer invests idle funds for the County to maintain the right balance of safety, liquidity and return for taxpayer dollars.
The Treasurer maintains all the County’s records relating to local taxes, cash and investments. We also collect and remit timely to the State all funds collected on their behalf. Our office is subject to many different audits including annually from the County’s external auditors and the State Auditor of Public Accounts, periodically by Federal auditors as well as internal audits from the County’s Internal Audit Department on a cyclic basis.
Of all the responsibilities of the Treasurer, one not yet mentioned is premier, that of providing world class customer service. Our office prides itself on greeting each citizen, listening to their concerns and handling their transactions in an efficient and professional manner. To ensure our staff deliver the best service possible, training is an ongoing practice in our office for all employees. We continually strive to add convenience-oriented services so that you can transact your County business when it’s convenient for you!
