Rouillard, who collected 202 signatures on her petition to be placed on the ballot, said that she hopes Fluvanna voters will support her in the election on Nov. 3.
“I believe I’m the best qualified for this job,” she said during her announcement. “I was the deputy clerk III/bookkeeper of Fluvanna County for six years, and the past year I’ve been the chief deputy clerk in Albemarle County. Between these two positions I’ve worked in or assisted in every division of the clerk’s office.
“All of my business career has involved some sort of customer service, and I believe that’s vital in the clerk’s office,” she continued. “I have 12 years as a small business owner – 10 years of those are in Fluvanna County – and I have an additional 10 years in management, both office and personnel.”
After her announcement Rouillard shared some ideas about how to improve the clerk’s office. “Mr. [B. E.] Peterson has done a really good job with his office over the last 30 years,” she said, “but there are some technology changes I think we can make, such as e-filing and going paperless where we can have all of our court records on the computer. We can have subscriptions to that so the attorneys that subscribe can look and see, have their pleadings come in, have the other parties’ pleadings come in, so it’ll be a big help for them – especially the ones that are in Charlottesville, so they don’t have to come out here just to look at a file.”
Elected to a term of eight years, the clerk of the circuit court is the official court administrator for all court cases. The clerk also serves as probate judge, records deeds, and handles numerous other document-related needs for the county and its citizens, such as marriage licenses, divorces, adoptions, name changes, passports, and concealed handgun permits.
Peterson, current clerk of the circuit court, has not yet decided whether to run for re-election.
Rovelle Brown is also running for clerk of circuit court. Despite several attempts, Brown could not immediately be reached for comment.
