For the first time since Hurricane Michael, Bay County government and Gulf Coast State College have partnered to resume the Bay County Citizens Academy, a program that provides a series of classes about services provided by the Bay County Board of County Commissioners.
“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 ever 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, Sept. 25 and will run for six weeks, with most 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, click here. Participants must use the coupon code BAY23 to get the course for free. The classes will be available to the general public for review online at baycountyfl.gov 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.
For more information, call Lara Herter at (850) 873-3583.