Making a difference in the Henrico Circuit Court Clerk’s Office

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When asked why she chose to run for Henrico Circuit Court Clerk, Gray Montrose says: “to make a difference.”

The Circuit Court Clerk is one of three nonpartisan constitutional offices in Henrico, along with the Sheriff and Commonwealth’s Attorney. If elected this November, Ms. Montrose would be the first Democrat to serve as Clerk since 1991.

“A lot hasn’t changed since 1991,” says Montrose, pointing to forms still filled out by hand and a lack of information available via the court’s website. Henrico’s Circuit Court was

in Virginia to adopt electronic filing and keeps online access to many public records, such as land records,

. Many court services are only available in person and require appointments made in advance.Gray Montrose is an attorney and Henrico native who grew up in the West End, attended school in Northside, and now owns a small farm in Varina near Williamsburg Road. She attended law school at the University of Richmond and also holds degrees from the University of Virginia and the University of South Carolina. She served as an Assistant Attorney General under Mark Herring and was most recently the Assistant Director of the Virginia Coastal Policy Center at William & Mary Law School.

Montrose says her background in policy development is one of her most important qualifications for the Clerk’s office. “You have to listen and respond to make sure the intended policy outcomes are actually happening for real people – that good ideas don’t get stuck in bad processes.” She cites this as the reason she believes it is important to vote in local elections, because “the General Assembly makes policy, but your local officials make that policy happen.”

The Clerk of the Circuit Court election is the only way most Virginians are able to have a say in the judiciary. Judges are appointed by legislators, while the Clerk oversees over 800 statutory duties that meaningfully govern interactions with the court outside of actual courtrooms. Montrose wants to use her eight-year term to automate services that currently have long processing times, provide staff with tools and training to advance their ability to serve the public, and expand courthouse services into libraries, community centers, and people's hands using mobile-friendly resources.

Similar efforts have been successful in jurisdictions like Arlington and Dinwiddie, models Montrose says Henrico can emulate and surpass using her skills in process management and grants administration. “Every extra staff hour we add because of slow, clunky processes, every day of delay, those costs are passed on directly to clients – whether ours or those of local attorneys. An attorney shouldn’t have to charge a client hundreds of dollars in extra time because the Clerk insists they come down to the courthouse in person to get information, that’s a waste of everyone’s time and money. Let’s use our resources responsibly.”

Montrose also points out that a large part of the Clerk’s budget comes from Henrico County. “It’s important to treat county funds as a match, not a guarantee, and leverage those funds with partners. That way you limit risk and increase your chance of long-term success.” Montrose would use her background in grants administration and collaborate with other county departments to expand court services with an eye to fiscal responsibility.

Ultimately, Montrose says “As a Henrico resident and taxpayer, I want to see value. I see it in Henrico schools, Henrico’s parks, and Henrico’s libraries, but I don’t see it in the courthouse and that’s something I intend to change.”

Paid for and authorized by Gray Montrose for Henrico