SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — ABC24 obtained documents showing Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert had failed to submit on-time and accurate monthly financial filings. This comes just months after the Poplar Plaza Clerk’s Office closed down due to late rent payments.
Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert said she did not submit any late documents despite there being evidence that monthly financial reports were submitted after the date required by state law, according to the Shelby County Trustee.
ABC24 has those documents from the trustee and emails between the clerk and trustee. The people of Shelby County want answers.
“I think it’s wrong to spend our money and there not be any accountability," William H., a customer at the Mullins Station Clerk's Office, said.
They want answers not only for issues at the clerk's offices and the lack of financial transparency since the increase in wheel tax.
“I feel like if we’re paying more to get something done, we should see the work," customer Tikesha Jones said.
The below document shows when the clerk's office submitted the previous month’s financial records.
Shelby County Trustee Regina Newman said state law requires these documents to be submitted by the 10th of the following month.
However, almost every month from Sept. of 2021 through at least Oct.2023, the report was filed after the 10th.
Clerk Wanda Halbert said that’s not the only deadline.
“Some kind of way the county got me closing out by the 10th of the month, but the state does not require me to close out certain functions until the end of the month," Halbert said. "We usually try to get our report in as close to the 10th as we can, but usually, we don’t get our report out until closer to the 15th or 20th of the month.”
In an email, on Feb. 5, 2024, Trustee Newman wrote to the clerk: “Each time you ask about the law, you are referred to the county attorney for any questions you have.”
The trustee also told Halbert, the report balances are not consistent, showing several revised reports. Halbert denies the most recent revision in Nov. for a Sept. report.
“I’m saying that I did not sign it, and anyone in this office will tell you if her signature is not on it, it is not authentic," Halbert said.
When asked if she filled out the document on the eighth, Walbert said she "saw it for the first time the other day."
On top of reports not balancing and being submitted late, customers said the service at clerk’s offices need improvements too.
“When it comes to tag renewals, registrations, marriage license certificates, I feel like this is the worst ever," Jones said.
“There are ten stations in [the Mullins station location], and today, they have two people working," William H. said. "Two stations out of ten and we got people waiting in line. That’s not right.”
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris wasn’t available to comment on the issues of monthly finance reports. He proposed the wheel tax increase, and it passed last June, now requiring drivers to pay 75 instead of 50 dollars.
Lee's office sent ABC24 this statement: “The money from the wheel tax is coming in. We are continuing to work with the Shelby County Clerk to reconcile all reporting. Shelby County Government is committed to the amounts allocated to rebuild Regional One and build two new high schools.”