Collier County clerk denies vendors $1.5M

NAPLES, Fla. – Collier County commissioners are blaming the Clerk of Courts Dwight Brock for not paying 85 vendors who completed $1.5 million of work for the county.

“He is the poster child for dysfunction,” a commissioner said during an hour-long discussion about the clerk last week. “All we’re doing is putting small vendors out of business by making them do hundreds of dollars of administration.”

One of those local business owners is Ken Carter. He has worked with Collier County for more than 20 years but said he refuses to continue providing services to the county until he is paid.

Carter said the county owes him $10,000 for a fence he built around North Collier Regional Park three months ago.

“It’s not fair, Very frustrating. It just adds to the process of trying to be successful in business,” Carter said. “I’ve lost a lot of respect for the clerk of courts office.”

The county commissioners have approved payments to the 85 unpaid vendors. But Brock said he is just doing his job and needs to protect taxpayer’s money.

“I have a responsibility to audit contracts,” he said on Monday.

It has been at least 45 days since 85 vendors have been paid, according to county officials. County leaders said they are still working to get them the money they deserve.

This recent episode is the second time Brock has withheld payments from vendors. Brock sent letters to hundreds of to vendors in 2015, refusing to pay them during a dispute about the county’s purchasing practices.