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FORT MYERS — With nearly three years left in her term, Lee County Clerk & Comptroller Linda Doggett is retiring from her position, effective Feb. 18, 2022. While no replacement has been named, Doggett, in a statement, says she’s recommending Gov. Ron DeSantis appoint the COO of the office, Kevin Karnes, to the post.
Doggett, who began working in the clerk’s office in 1984 and rose up the chain in various leadership positions, was first elected to oversee the Lee County Clerk of the Court & Comptroller’s office in 2012. Positions she held in the office prior to being elected include COO, Information Technology Director, and Courts Department Director. A Republican, she was reelected in 2016 and 2020; she was unopposed in the most recent election. Her latest term is scheduled to run until 2024.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities this office has afforded me both professionally and in service to the community for the past 37.5 years,” Doggett says in a statement. “I am also very proud to have led a talented team of professionals who work hard every day to serve the people of Lee County.”
While Clerk, Doggett led the transition of the Internal Audit Department to an accredited Inspector General for Lee County government, the release states. Over the years, the Clerk’s Inspector General has saved millions of taxpayer dollars by stopping real and potential fraud, waste, and abuse in the county.
In addition, the Clerk’s office opened a Self-Help Center, providing essential court services at no cost to taxpayers. The office also partnered with Legal Aid to provide free 20-minute attorney consultations for customers struggling to represent themselves in the complex court system.
In recent years, the release states, many paperless processes were implemented to enhance efficiencies through the office. Services were also expanded online to provide customers with added convenience. The office launched partnerships with TurboCourt to allow customers to easily file court cases and TeleClerk video conferencing was also launched for customers during the pandemic to provide uninterrupted services.
Doggett says Karnes, who currently oversees more than 300 of the office’s 325 employees, is “highly qualified to lead the Clerk’s office…he has the knowledge, skills, and experience required to perform the job.”
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