MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The state of Tennessee is again stepping in to oversee embattled Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert and her office.
Tuesday, Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower sent a letter to members of Shelby County government saying he's sending a team of auditors to help the clerk’s office solve the problem of inaccurate and incomplete revenue reports.
“This is a matter of having a clerk who is not competent to do the job she was elected to do,” Mumpower said. “That is the reason I am sending auditors to Shelby County.”
“I expect the clerk to work with them and cooperate with them as state law calls for,” Mumpower said.
It comes on the heels of the revelation by the Shelby County Trustee that Halbert’s office submitted inaccurate revenue reports going as far back as July 2023, jeopardizing the county’s 2025 budget.
“Do I like that the state government is having to come into Shelby County? No,” Shelby County Commissioner Britney Thornton said. “Am I relieved that there is some type of neutral party that can come in and support? Okay, I'll take it.”
Commissioner Thornton added the further caveat that the state leave once their work is finished.
The 2025 budget is expected to include money to build two new school buildings for Memphis Shelby County Schools and renovate Regional One Hospital.
Halbert blames the revenue errors on the county's finance software system, especially the fact they use Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
The Comptroller disputes this.
“My team has reviewed these allegations the clerk has made in the past and we found them to be unfounded,” Mumpower said. “I don’t think the clerk is competent enough to know what resources she does and doesn’t have.”
Mumpower said his team of four to five auditors will arrive Monday, correct the revenue reports and make sure accurate reports are generated moving forward, which is welcome news to customers of the clerk’s office.
“If she can’t do the job, let’s get somebody who can,” said Memphis resident Chloe Wilbourn.
The Comptroller said they won’t know how long they will need to stay until they get to the clerk’s office and see how widespread the problem is. Mumpower did not rule out the possibility of sending another team.
ABC24 reached out to Halbert for comment and have yet to hear back.
Halbert is already under investigation by the Hamilton County D.A. for the management of her office.