Nightmare in Collier County

Score, the volunteer group of executives who help small-business owners get started, recently highlighted why Collier County is one of the worst places to do business on the Gulf Coast.

The title of its most recent free workshop sounds like a bad Halloween movie: “Taking the Fear out of Collier County Permitting, Part 2.”

Indeed, we've heard many Naples-area business owners say county permitting is one of the most difficult and capricious in the region. Entrepreneurs used to put up with it during the good times, chalking it up as one cost of doing business. But despite pledges from government bureaucrats and politicians, business owners we've spoken to say it hasn't gotten any better despite the economic downturn.

“The permitting process can be a daunting task,” the Score announcement says. “Sometimes downright scary.”

But we know how this bad picture will end. Until county government gets real about helping entrepreneurs by making permitting easier, job creation will remain elusive.