Cumberland commissioner of revenue outlines tax administration duties, anticipates DMV Select decline

Julie, the Cumberland County Commissioner of Revenue, presented the office’s functions, performance measures and FY2026 budget requests at the Feb. 25 budget workshop.

Julie said her office serves as the county’s chief assessing officer and administers real estate, personal property, business license and public service taxes, plus local relief programs such as land use, tax relief for the elderly and disabled, and disabled veterans’ exemptions. Julie said the office also operates a DMV Select service that draws customers beyond county lines and that the opening of a Powhatan DMV office produced about a 10% reduction in DMV Select business in 2024; she expects further decreases as Powhatan’s service becomes better known.

Budget requests included modest increases for professional services (vehicle and boat valuation, print/mail of personal property forms), travel and training for staff training and an online legal lookup subscription to replace printed volumes. Julie said the online subscription will cost more than the old books but is more efficient and accessible for staff.

Board members flagged an item in the package requesting new doors for the Commissioner of Revenue’s office. Julie and staff clarified the doors project would not be paid from the Commissioner’s office budget but should be included in the county building or facilities budget because the doors concern office security and stored DMV materials.

Julie said the office maintains performance objectives including on-time collection and continued discovery for business-license and personal-property audits, and that turnover and training remain staffing challenges.