Lynchburg will have a new treasurer next year, and two Brians are vying for the role.
Current Deputy Treasurer Brian Witt, who has held his role for five years, fears that institutional knowledge will be lost at the treasurer’s office if he doesn’t win his race. Current Treasurer Robert Bailey is not seeking re-election, which leaves Witt as the only person who understands the ins and outs of the two-person office.
Witt’s challenger, Brian Triplett, said he’s committed to maintaining Bailey’s legacy of accuracy and integrity and could adapt fast.
The treasurer’s office in Lynchburg collects and processes state taxes and sends the money to Richmond. The treasurer is elected every four years and can choose his or her deputy treasurer, according to Virginia state code. The treasurer’s office does not process any city taxes such as real estate tax — that’s managed by the city’s finance department, which is led by the city’s chief financial officer.
Bailey has served as treasurer since 2016. His deputy, Witt, said that by working alongside Bailey, he has gained the experience he needs to fill Bailey’s big shoes.
“I can guarantee you that there will be stability in this office,” Witt said. “I can hit the ground running on day one, and there will be no disruption to the services of the citizens of Lynchburg.”
Witt, who’s running as an independent and has an endorsement from the Lynchburg Democratic Committee, said he has processed over $15 million in state revenue since starting his role as deputy treasurer. In that time, the office has passed state inspections with no discrepancies in numbers or recommendations for improvement, Witt said. He fears such accuracy could be lost if neither Bailey nor himself — nor their combined accounting knowledge, state tax expertise, and familiarity with office procedures — return next year.
Witt’s role as deputy treasurer ends on Dec. 31, he said, and can’t be renewed without approval from the new treasurer. Triplett said that, if he wins, he’d be happy to keep Witt on board.
Triplett, who’s running as a Republican, added that he’s looked up to Bailey for years and would continue his legacy, even if he hasn’t had the chance to work with him first-hand.
“[Bailey] established a very good, professional, competent office,” Triplett said. “I am specifically interested in making sure to maintain that high level of professionalism and confidence and customer service that the taxpayers in Lynchburg have come to expect.”
Triplett has been a public school teacher for about 20 years, teaching career and technical programs across Lynchburg city and Campbell and Amherst counties, he said. He currently teaches computer-aided drafting and design at Amherst County High School.
Triplett has served as treasurer for various political and civic organizations over the past 15 years, he said, including the Lynchburg Republican Party. He’s used to managing campaigns with up to $20,000.
“If you can trust someone with tens of thousands, you can trust them with more than that,” Triplett said. “It’s a matter of trust, and I take my responsibilities very seriously.”
Triplett said he’s running for treasurer because he wants to stand by his fellow Lynchburg Republicans in holding constitutional offices.
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To see who’s on the ballot in Lynchburg, see the Lynchburg page in our Voter Guide. To find out who’s running in other localities and where they stand, start on the main page of our Voter Guide. Early voting begins Sept. 19.
The only local elections in Lynchburg this year are those for constitutional offices, or roles that are defined by Virginia’s constitution. Two constitutional offices on the ballot are uncontested: Donald Sloan is running for sheriff, and Mitchell Nuckles is running for commissioner of the revenue. They are both incumbent Republicans.
The other constitutional office on the ballot, commonwealth’s attorney, is contested between Republican Bethany Harrison and Independent Christopher White.
“Harrison, Sloan, and Nuckles — we’re all Republicans, we’ve been part of the party for a long time, and we have that stamp of approval behind us,” Triplett said. “I want to support that community in any way I can.”
Witt said the role of treasurer isn’t political. It has everything to do with experience, which he feels like he’s developed while working alongside Bailey and earning his professional certification as a master governmental deputy treasurer. It’s also about personal character, he said — for him, that’s influenced by his 26 years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force.
“There are three Air Force values which I really relate to: the first one is service before self, the second one is excellence in all that we do, and the third is integrity. That’s all key to a job like this,” he said. “It’s about doing the right thing, even when nobody is looking, particularly when I’m dealing with millions of dollars.”