MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert is asking leaders for a 6% raise for the employees in her office.

Halbert was at Wednesday’s meeting of the Shelby County Commission on the same day as Mayor Lee Harris presented his budget proposal, which included a 6% raise for county employees.

Halbert says she is pushing for her employees to be included. 

Halbert says for years, the money generated from her office has been used in other ways. Now she is asking for that money to be used to pay her employees more.

“They are doing hard work, generating millions for the county,” Halbert told commissioners.

But commissioners argued that, with just a couple of months left in the current fiscal year, the proper process for this ask may be months too late.

Halbert responded, “It hasn’t been easy understanding the process, especially when it looks like somebody may not want you to understand the process.”

Moments after she left the chamber, Halbert spoke to WREG.

“To be generating 1-2-300 million a year and still stuck paying 16,17,18 an hour — minimum wage — that’s absolutely ridiculous,” she said.

Halbert’s request for raises comes after the state stepped in earlier this year to help the office figure out where mistakes have been made, auditing and reviewing financials so the county can craft its budget.

“I will not misrepresent the fact that I was concerned,” Halbert said of the auditors, “but when they came in, I was really appreciated that they had an opportunity to see exactly what we are seeing.”

A report dated March 11 shows tax collections totaling more than $56 million from last July to February.

“The bottom line is we don’t have the resources to do the job the way it needs to be done today,” Halbert said.

There was a motion to take this item to next Monday’s meeting to better understand the proposed budget for employees and what Clerk Halbert wants.