Wanda Halbert

Shelby County Clerk

August 3, 2022

Willie Brooks, Chairman

Michael Whaley, Pro-Tempore
Eddie Jones
Amber Mills
Edmond Ford, Jr.
Mark Billingsley
Tami Sawyer
David Bradford
Reginald Milton
Mick Wright
Mickell Lowery
Van Turner, Esq.

Best of Mornings Shelby County Commissioners:

On September 10, 2018 during the first County Commission Meeting attended by new elected
officials, among other things, I shared with each of you:

 The office of the County Clerk had questionable (illegal) activity in a particular
department;
 We could not see and/or document the monies I knew this office was responsible for
collecting and turning over;
 I wanted our leadership to document to Commission EVERY cent we touch;
 Every facility in the County Clerk offices were outside of ADA compliance;
 There was no security at non-government satellite locations (there has been at least 1
robbery with employees laying on the floor with guns to their heads);
 Unlike County Clerk employees in government buildings, employees at the satellite
locations were required to take turns cleaning the facilities including mopping floors and
washing toilets;
  The technology (computers, telephones, lack of other systems) was aged and
(ultimately went out of Microsoft compliance in 2019);
 The salaries of 20+ year veterans were the same as new employees walking off the
street for a new job;
 Made a reference to unsolicited advice, new/young adults would not stay in these
county positions for the salaries given;
 I was NOT touching the financials or the office with questionable activity until we
received a forensic audit………….and more.

To date, very little of the aforementioned has changed, however, it was then the Commission
stated on the record, an approved/paid for forensic audit for each office.

March 17, 2022 our leadership had an opportunity to stumble on the August 2018 resolution
approving aforementioned audit. Ironically, there are 3 independent offices that play a
significant role in the collections of the County Clerk fees OMITTED from the audit: County
Clerk, Trustee and Mayor, i.e. the office that collects/generates the day-to-day revenue, the
office that sweeps the funds nightly (our leadership unfortunately didn’t know about this for 2
years) and the office that receives millions of dollars monthly unsegregated and lumped as a
whole without a finance system to document.

While there are far more egregious/alarming concerns we have discovered since being in office,
outside of this office - monthly collections were only reporting the county and county clerk
commission/fees however, the true monthly collections (which are historically undocumented –
including my first 2+ years while waiting on the audit) are far greater than thought.

Simple Example:

July 2021 Total Collections Old Monthly Report New Monthly Report
$6,187,659.30 $13,480,047.56

March 2022 Total Collections: Old Monthly Report New Monthly Report
$6,295,631.68 $13,972,396.63

June 2022 Total Collections: Old Monthly Report New Monthly Report
$6,669,304.91 $13,822,582.09

The monthly collections in the Shelby County Clerk office:

 Historically do not appear to be legally reported,

 The revenues generated by this office appear to be cut in half (from the top - - look at
historical budget books),
 The County Clerk team has been limited to $6.4M or less as a budget;
  The increase requests we have made have been historically voted down by Commission;
 Restricted Motor Vehicle Registration (MVR) earmarked funds documented in the
historical County budget books have been directly placed in the general fund (violation
of State law);
 Restricted earmarked Data Protection (DP) funds are directly given to Shelby County
Mayor for the IT Division (violation of State law)……….etc.

More recently, Shelby County Mailroom under the Mayor’s executive leadership STOPPED
sending County Clerk mail “due to a lack of funds” - - please see attached email.

Every customer choosing to go online and purchase a license plate pays a $5 first class fee and a
$2.00 fee for regular mail. It was IMPOSSIBLE for the County Clerk office to have a “lack of
funds”. If ever that would be the case, Shelby County Government would be legally liable to
carry out the customer service as per State law.

There was never a problem, the daily payments from customers are swept but not documented
outside of this office, however, it does not appear coincidental after almost 4 years of service, a
stunt like this would be pulled! This caused significantly backlogs and/or delays of customer
services.

We are currently prepping August 2nd inventory for mail and are beginning the work of a host of
other outstanding backlogs!!!!!

As our team has been forced to learned these and a LONG LIST of other alarming issues that
potentially bump against the law, we have not only been reporting said concerns to the County
Commission, County Mayor, County Finance, County Budget, County Legal, etc.,

I have been locally accused of and/or reported at the local and State level of the very things I
have reported/documented to each of you, the State of Tennessee Comptroller, Department of
Revenue, Department of Homeland Security and other local, state and federal authorities.

The audacity of any member of the County Commission to put forth a resolution for a vote of
no confidence when the aforementioned facts have been documented historically is clearly
intentional. The audacity of any member of the County Commission to remain silent speaks
volumes, therefore……………………

As a local/state/federal agent - - collector of IRS heavy-use-vehicle-tax and Homeland Security -

- Real ID, regular ID, Driver’s License, etc……..

I am professionally and personally invoking the Federal Whistle Blower’s Act against the body of
the County Commission for our team and myself in my elected/professional/personal capacity.
The financials of the Office of the Shelby County Clerk have historically never been
documented, have been on excel spreadsheets, records are missing, former internal audits
have issued warnings of a few of the aforementioned issues, etc.

I am being publicly shamed to cover up long standing practices that may appear to bump
against the law and you have denied me the ability and the right as a new official to be made
whole and clean-up said outstanding matters.

Very Respectfully,

Wanda Halbert, Shelby County Clerk

150 Washington Avenue
Memphis, TN 38111
901-222-3068 Office

Cc: Et.Al.