MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County Clerk’s Office has closed its branch at Poplar Plaza, a day earlier than it had been set to close.
In a notice posted Monday, Shelby County CAO Harold Collins said the branch on Plaza Drive near Highland and Poplar would close as of Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. ABC24 crews went by the office Wednesday morning and found the office closed with a sign on the door.
“I’m shocked it’s closed. It kind of just threw me off," said JiMontae Buford, who was hoping to get new tags Wednesday. "I’m getting first-hand experience right now by coming up here to try and get my tags removed, and it’s just not happening.”
We have reached out to both the Shelby County Government and Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert for more on why it closed a day early. Halbert has not responded to any of the emails sent by ABC24 at this time, and when reporters went to the Downtown Headquarters, employees said Halbert was out for the day.
What led to the closure
Monday's statement from Collins said the county learned from the landlord on Oct. 11 that they had 30 days to vacate, and that “for several months, the Clerk has been behind on rent on the premises.”
In a response to the closure, Halbert sent an email saying the office was working with Shelby County Support Services on upgrading all of its facilities over the past five years, but when it came to the ‘Midtown’ location, the office was “ultimately told, the 2 potential new locations would not be large enough for our customer base.”
Halbert said current employees of the Poplar Plaza location would be reassigned to other locations and that her team “continues to work with Shelby County Government to open locations that give you a more modern/up-to-date experience, where there are no long lines, slow technology and the inability to upgrade your and our team’s best expectations.”
On Monday evening, Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright once again called for Halbert to step down. He laid out several questions to Halbert in a social media post. He asked, "When did you decide not to move forward with leasing a new space at Poplar Plaza, and on what basis did you make that decision?" and "Why haven't you paid the rent due to the current Poplar Plaza space since March?" among other questions. Halbert has not responded.
ABC24 caught up with Wright once news broke Wednesday of Poplar Plaza's early closure. Wright admits he was also shocked and found out when a constituent emailed him that morning.
Wright and many others have criticized Halbert's ability to lead the Shelby County Clerk's Office. Earlier this year, the Shelby County Commission appointed Janet Hooks as Halbert's special advisor to get the office back on track. Hooks passed away in October, and at this time, no replacement has been named.
“At that time, it seemed like progress was being made, or that there was a future there at Poplar Plaza," said Wright, "and now it seems like we’ve reversed course.”
Wright has called on Halbert to step down from her position. The commissioner also worries what this could mean for other county clerk offices, like those in Raleigh, Whitehaven and Millington, since they also are not under a long-term lease, which is also how Poplar Plaza operated.
“The lines would get longer, the service would get worse," said Wright. "And all this has a common denominator, and that’s simply clerk Halbert.”
In July, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy asked the Hamilton County District Attorney to lead an investigation into complaints of Halbert's office. Wright said if the evidence supports complaints, this could oust Halbert from her role as county clerk. ABC24 has reached out to the Hamilton County District Attorney for updates on the investigation but have not heard back at this time.