PANAMA CITY — People who have to pay a bill or take care of other business at City Hall this week may want do so early Wednesday or find they are out of luck.
County and city offices throughout Bay County will be closed not only for Thanksgiving, but also on Friday. And some city offices are closing early Wednesday.
Similar closing schedules will occur over the Christmas holiday, which occurs on a Thursday this year. Bay County government and many city offices plan to close not only Christmas Day, but the Friday after it, with varying closings times on Christmas Eve.
Bay County commissioners have agreed to change the Christmas schedule this year so its offices close at noon on Christmas Eve and are closed on Christmas Day and Dec. 26. In years past, the county offices under the commission, such as Code Enforcement and Builders Services, were closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but not the day after Christmas.
“I’d anticipate people will be traveling” on Christmas Eve, said county spokeswoman Valerie Sale. “We’ll have a skeleton crew on Wednesday for that half a day.”
Panama City Beach City Hall is open until 4 p.m. Wednesday but closed Thursday and Friday. The offices will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but will reopen Dec. 26.
Panama City’s government offices will be open until 5 p.m. Wednesday, but are closed on Thursday and Friday. Employees asked city staff to allow them to have Christmas Day and the Friday after it off so they could have a long weekend, and the City Commission agreed. In years past, employees were off on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Lynn Haven’s city offices will close at noon Wednesday and be closed Thursday and Friday. The same closing pattern will occur over the Christmas holiday.
In Callaway, City Hall will be open through 4 p.m. Wednesday but be closed on Thursday and Friday. Instead of the offices being closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year, the days have been changed to Christmas Day and Dec. 26.
In Springfield, City Hall will be open through 5 p.m. Wednesday, but it will be closed from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for an employee Thanksgiving dinner. The offices will be closed Thursday and Friday. City Hall will be open on Christmas Eve but closed Christmas Day and Dec. 26.
In Mexico Beach, city offices will be open until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday but closed Thursday and Friday. The offices will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but be open on Dec. 26.
Bay County constitutional officers have proposed their own holiday schedules.
The Supervisor of Elections office is open until 5 p.m. Wednesday but closed Thursday and Friday. The office is closing Christmas Day and Dec. 26. The closing time on Christmas Eve will depend upon what is happening, said Bay County Supervisor of Elections Mark Andersen. He said employees were busy during the recent election and put in many overtime hours, so they may be getting out early on Christmas Eve.
“We’re a little different. We’re not an 8 to 5 office,” he said.
People can pay tickets and take care of other business at the Clerk of Courts office until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, but the offices will be closed Thursday and Friday. The offices will be open a full business day on Christmas Eve but will close on Christmas Day and Dec. 26.
The Tax Collector’s Office closes at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and is closed Thursday and Friday. On Christmas Eve, the office will be closing at noon and then will be closed for Christmas Day and Dec. 26.
The Property Appraiser’s Office is open until 5 p.m. Wednesday but will close Thursday and Friday. The office will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Dec. 26.