MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Here’s a shocking statistic for you: There are 100,000 fewer registered vehicles on the roads in Shelby County this year than there were last year, according to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.

“Right now there are just under 600K vehicles in Shelby County, which is about a 100k drop from 12 months ago, and we need to make up that revenue this budget cycle,” Mayor Harris said in a recent budget presentation.

That’s a 17% drop in one year, and it’s causing the county to lose millions in revenue. The question is, why?

Harris proposed a $5 increase in county car registration fees to make up the difference, but couldn’t explain where the vehicles went.

“This $5 increase will allow us to manage the unexpected drop in revenue we have seen, and the sudden and inexplicable reduction in the number of vehicles that are now registered in Shelby County,” Harris said.

We have reached out to Shelby County Commissioners on their thoughts and are currently waiting to hear back, but state Rep. Mark White sees the drop off in car registration as a big problem.

“Something is missing there that is going unregistered, and that’s causing the city of Memphis and Shelby County millions of dollars in lost revenue,” said White (R-Memphis). “It’s critical and we will have to find a solution to this.”

White sees Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert as the problem. Many, including White, have tried to oust Halbert from her position.

In January, the city said the clerk failed to collect $7 million in additional driver registration fees, which created a shortfall in the city budget.

White says he hopes voters come to the polls to make change in the midterms.

“I keep hoping that they bring in the right management, but that’s an elected position,” White said. “We’ve taken this all the way to the courts and the courts have dismissed it. … Now the citizens of Memphis are going to have to vote, and make sure you know who you are voting for to put the proper person in an office to run that.”

WREG has requested an interview with Halbert, and we are currently working on scheduling that.