MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert was expected to open a new office on Riverdale Road in East Memphis Monday, but when ABC24 got there, the doors were locked.
This comes after Shelby County Government said on its official Twitter account that as far as it's concerned, "the County Clerk's office on Riverdale is ready."
"We're pleased to report that the County Clerk’s office on Riverdale is ready. Clerk Wanda Halbert and team now have everything they need to open to the public ASAP," the tweet said. "This area has been underserved. Now we have another location where residents can get their tags and avoid lines."
According to Halbert, the delay in opening the Riverdale Road office in East Memphis is something she warned county commissioners of the week before the October 31 deadline.
During the Shelby County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday night, Halbert informed the board of some of the things that still need to be finished before the office can open, including proper security measures.
“Since we have been retro-fitted into a bank, we do not have bulletproof glass," she said. "Based on the millions of dollars that are collected, that will be collected in that location, that’s going to be extra sensitive, along with the fact that we do not have a safe.”
In a statement to ABC24, Halbert said the location will open once her team addresses local, state and federal facility needs.
"After realizing every County Clerk facility was outside of legal requirements to serve all citizens, our team independently found an amazing bank to meet their needs," Halbert said. "It is unfortunate the county mayor is attempting to take ownership of the project. "Once our team addresses outstanding required local, state and federal facility needs, we will host a ribbon cutting ceremony and hope all neighboring citizens and customers join us to welcome their new community neighborhood County Clerk office."
An October 31 opening date was tied to a meeting with Shelby County commissioners earlier this month.
A few days before passing the resolution about opening the Riverdale office on Halloween, Mayor Lee Harris sent a letter to Halbert criticizing her for not cooperating with the county’s I.T. staff, warning that the lack of cooperation would only delay the opening.
Halbert denied all of that, saying at the time there was no reason for Mayor Harris to send that letter.
In a letter to county commissioners Monday, Halbert said her office could not anticipate opening the Riverdale Road location until December 1.
Halbert invited members of the board to come to visit the new office so that they can see what still needs to be done themselves.