Bay County to Host Fall Citizens Academy

PANAMA CITY, FL –The Bay County Board of County Commissioners and Gulf Coast State College are partnering to once again host the Bay County Citizens Academy, a program that provides a series of classes about services provided by Bay County.

“We are excited to again offer this program to the public,” Bay County Commission Chairman Tommy Hamm said. “This will give folks an opportunity to learn everything they wanted to know about how county government works and also give us some insight on how we can better serve the public.”

Students will learn from elected county officials and county administrators about topics such as the budgeting process, where we get our drinking water, what happens to our trash, and much, much more. The class concludes with a day-long field trip to various county facilities, including Animal Control, the Emergency Operations Center, the Bay County Gun Range and more. The final portion of the class is a graduation ceremony for participating members during a Bay County Commission meeting at the Bay County Government Center.

Space is limited to the first 25 people who register. The sessions begin Monday, September 23 and will run for six weeks, with most sessions being held in the morning at the college. A sampling of topics includes Parks and Recreation, Animal Control, Traffic and Engineering, Veterans Services, and Emergency Management.

To register and to view an itinerary for each session go here: https://www.gulfcoast.edu/academics/degrees-programs/continuing-education/citizens-academy/index.html . The cost for the academy is $10, which includes all courses and the day-long field trip with lunch provided. The classes will be available online at baycountyfl.gov for the general public to review after the course concludes.

“We are so proud of this partnership with the college, and we’re excited to bring back this opportunity to help people get more involved in their government,” Hamm said.