by Tom Chillemi –
Middlesex Treasurer Betty Bray was asked, “What’s a good day for retiring?”
“When everything balances,” responded Bray, who is closing out a 20-year career successfully handling millions of dollars for Middlesex County.
At times Bray has had to be like a detective. On a typical day recently, Bray was at her desk comparing 10 checks she had received from a real estate mortgage tax service to the list the company had sent. The checks and list needed to balance before she could post them to the correct account.
After 15 minutes, clicking on a vintage “Victor 1260-2” adding machine, Bray had figured out all but two checks, one of which was for more than $7,000. “I’ll get it,” she said, setting aside that task. Sometimes, said Bray, she can walk away from “a puzzle” and when she comes back she easily solves the problem and things balance.
Nervous
Bray said she was “nervous” when she first took office on January 1, 2000. “I was afraid I would do something wrong.” She read the state code and checked with other county treasurers to verify she was following proper procedures.
Bray gradually got more comfortable as she took classes, and after two years was certified by the Treasurer’s Association of Virginia and the Compensation Board of Virginia.
She became a Master Governmental Treasurer through an extensive study program between the Treasurer’s Association of Virginia and the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia.
The volume of work has increased greatly since she first became treasurer, explained Bray. The staff could be smaller if the only duties were processing checks and posting. However, other duties include serving customers. For example, a customer paid by Paypal but the payment didn’t post to the county’s site. Solving everyday issues such as this are time consuming, she said.
Accreditation
In June 2019, the Middlesex County Treasurers Office received its accreditation from the Treasurers’ Association of Virginia. The certification was presented to Bray as part of the association conference in Arlington. The office accreditation program is a voluntary professional certificate program overseen by the Treasurers Association of Virginia. Bray’s office was one of 65 treasurer offices to receive accreditation in 2019 by the association which has 187 members.
“Those treasurers that choose to submit to the accreditation process take extra steps to ensure they are good stewards of their localities funds,” said association president Evelyn Powers. “These offices have demonstrated they are of the highest caliber and integrity. Accreditation represents the hardworking dedicated nature of our treasurers and their staffs throughout the Commonwealth.”
While it is not required for any treasurer’s office to be accredited, receiving accreditation acknowledges that the office “meets the statewide best practices for performance and treasury management,” states the accreditation statement.
As part of the accreditation process, offices must successfully pass an outside audit with no findings of material weakness. The rigorous accreditation process also requires proof of continuing education such as attendance of an ethics course by the treasurer or a principal officer and educational requirements for all staff. Accredited offices are required to have written policies in place addressing areas such as personnel, customer service and delinquent collections.
Accomplishments
During her tenure as treasurer, Bray developed and wrote policies for investments, customer service and delinquent collections.
Bray also designed new personal property and real estate bills for privacy and more information for the owners. She also outsourced printing and mailing as a cost savings measure.
Bray eliminated the annual vehicles decal by adding the fee to personal property bills.
The office also entered an agreement with the Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles that allows vehicle registrations to be withheld when taxes are unpaid.
Citizens can now pay taxes online with credit cards or Paypal, and thousands of people pay this way even though there is a convenience fee, she said.
Innovations Bray has implemented at the treasurer’s office include remodeling the office to make it more efficient in serving citizens.
Thanks
Bray said she will miss working with her staff members who have been an asset to the office through the years, and she thanked all those dedicated staff members.
Deputy treasurer Kathy Thrift, who was elected treasurer in November 2019, will take over as county treasurer on January 1, 2020. Traci Wright will move up from assistant and become deputy treasurer.
However, Bray will stay on the job a few days after the new year for the “turnover audit.”
The treasurer’s office will be closed for the audit on January 2-3 and January 6-7, 2020.
“Success”
Just before she graduated from Middlesex High School in 1968, Bray (Betty Stallings) was voted most likely to succeed by her classmates. (Larry Chowning, a Sentinel reporter, was the male recipient of that designation.)
No one knew at what she would be successful. Looking back on five decades, one could say being county treasurer made her “a success.” But beyond that title, Bray is part of an extended family, many of whom still live in the Remlik area where she grew up.
She and husband Wayne have three sons and five grandchildren they have watched grow up. The oldest granddaughter just got married this summer.
As bookkeeper for Hampstead Farm, operated by husband Wayne and youngest son Jason, she’s part of family tradition. The hard work of farming is put to rest on Sundays when you’ll find Betty, Wayne and their families at Remlik Wesleyan Church, strengthening their bond through faith.
For Betty Bray, as with any life, success has been a matter of finding balance.
