Summit County officials say they may file a civil lawsuit against a concert producer in the Park City area.

According to Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds, concert producer Toby Martin has not reimbursed county taxpayers for services deputies provided at a reggae festival at Kimball Junction in 2009.

“We do help out with public safety at these things and this group did not pay,” Edmunds said. “I’ve had personal words with [Martin.]”

Martin says he owes about $2,300 to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office and $900 to the Park City Fire District. The county has considered suing Martin in small claims court to collect the debt, Summit County attorney David Brickey said.

“When the bill was sent to him, [Martin] said he could not pay it,” Brickey said.

Martin indicated that he has been unable to pay the Sheriff’s Office because his business associate took money from him, Brickey said.

“Mr. Martin made a claim that his business partner had taken the money illegally,” Brickey said. “As far as I’m concerned, Mr. Martin still owes the county for those services he was provided It’s the responsibility of the promoter to have adequate funding in place to pay for extra security and the public safety involved in the mass gathering.”

Martin was sent a letter demanding payment.

“After we sent the demand letter, Mr. Martin approached the Sheriff’s Office and claimed his partner stole money from him,” Brickey said.

Meanwhile, Martin said he doesn’t plan to pay the debt anytime soon.

“If I do that, it complicates everything,” Martin said in a telephone interview. “I’ve been told not to pay the bills.”

Martin blames local businessman Dustin Esson, who invested in the Roots Rock Reggae Music Festival at Newpark Amphitheater in July 2009. While featuring performances by Pepper, Collie Buddz and Eek a Mouse, the concert accumulated massive debt.

“[Esson] is just out in left field,” Martin said.

Martin and Esson are currently wrangling in court over who is responsible for paying the bills.

“If [Summit County files] a suit against me, which they are free to do, it will be rolled into this master case, which is now in district court,” Martin explained.

He claims that Esson took the money Martin had earmarked to satisfy his debt with Summit County.

An attorney for Martin said Esson inappropriately paid “investors” in the show before vendors at the event were compensated.

“If there isn’t enough money going around, you still pay the vendors first,” attorney Rick Sorensen said.

Right now, Sorensen said Martin cannot afford to pay Summit County.

“He’s on the hook for it and he knows it Toby simply does not have the money and the sheriff and fire department haven’t come knocking yet,” Sorensen said.

But Esson’s attorney explained that the business dispute between his client and Martin is because the reggae festival lost lots of money.

“There wasn’t enough money to pay everybody and for whatever reason other vendors were paid before the sheriff’s department,” attorney Adam Ford said in a telephone interview. “The dispute is not whether or not the Sheriff’s Office should be paid. The dispute is who is responsible for those losses and Toby Martin so far has been unwilling to accept any responsibility in that litigation.”

Martin clearly owes the debt to Summit County, Ford explained.

“The fact that the sheriff’s department has contemplated bringing [an action] against Toby Martin, but there is no indication that they are contemplating bringing charges against Dustin Esson speaks for itself,” Ford said. “Anyone who has done business with Toby Martin knows who Toby Martin is, and anybody who has done business with Dustin Esson knows who Dustin Esson is, and we’re comfortable with that reality.”

Summit County will be paid in the end, he said.

“We’re convinced that Toby Martin will end up accepting his share of the responsibility for that,” Ford added.