Bay County

What Bay County does

Bay County, FL is a county government entity headquartered in Panama City, Florida, operating since 1913 with 251–500 employees under the governance of the Bay County Board of County Commissioners. The county provides a portfolio of essential public services to residents, businesses, and visitors of unincorporated Bay County, including emergency management and fire rescue, water and wastewater utilities (serving both retail customers and wholesale municipalities such as Panama City, Panama City Beach, and Lynn Haven), public works and infrastructure, floodplain management, parks and recreation, animal control, code enforcement, and transit services through the Bayway system.

The county's service delivery is supported by a portfolio of digital tools including AlertBay (an Everbridge-powered emergency notification system), the Community Connect citizen information portal, a mobile application with a 'Report a Problem' feature, an Interactive GIS Map system, the Half-Cent Infrastructure Surtax project tracker, and online utility bill payment and public records portals. Its infrastructure footprint encompasses the Steelfield Landfill, Deer Point Reservoir and water treatment plant, multiple parks, and a transit fleet. The county holds a Class 5 Community Rating System rating under FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program, providing residents a 25% discount on flood insurance premiums.

Revenue is generated through five primary streams: property taxes (the dominant recurring revenue base), a Half-Cent Infrastructure Surtax on sales (dedicated to infrastructure), a Tourist Development Tax, utility service fees, and permits and licensing fees (including building permits, fire inspections, and short-term rental registrations). Distribution is achieved through physical county offices, online self-service portals, the mobile application, and field services (fire rescue, animal control, public works, utility operations). The entity has no parent company, no private equity or venture capital ownership, and is governed by publicly elected commissioners.

Name

Bay County

Legal name

Bay County Board of County Commissioners

Website

https://co.bay.fl.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Bay County, FL is a county government in Panama City, Florida, serving roughly 180,000 residents with emergency services, water and wastewater utilities, public works, parks, transit, and floodplain management. It is funded primarily through property taxes, a Half-Cent Infrastructure Surtax, tourist taxes, utility fees, and permits, and holds a FEMA Class 5 CRS rating.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Administration / County Government Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance) (BPAIALAD)

Keywords

• County government services
• Public works infrastructure
• Emergency management services
• Water utility services
• Parks recreation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Panama City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Taxes: Primary revenue source for county operations funded through property tax assessments on residential and commercial properties within Bay County
2. Half-Cent Infrastructure Surtax: Dedicated sales tax for infrastructure improvements including roads, bridges, and public facilities
3. Tourist Development Tax: Revenue from tourists visiting the area, supporting beach safety, tourism promotion, and related services
4. Utility Services Revenue: Fees charged for water, wastewater, and related utility services to residents and municipalities
5. Permits and Fees: Building permits, fire inspection fees, short-term rental registration fees, and various county service fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bay County, Florida is a county government entity that provides essential public services to residents and businesses within its jurisdiction, including emergency management and fire rescue, water and wastewater utilities, public works and road maintenance, parks and recreation, building permits and code enforcement, animal control, and transit services (Bayway). The county also operates digital citizen-facing tools such as the AlertBay emergency notification system, Community Connect portal, mobile app, and GIS mapping platforms to facilitate service delivery and resident engagement.

Product overview

Bay County, FL is a county government entity offering a portfolio of digital services to residents and businesses. The primary offerings include AlertBay (emergency notification via Everbridge), Community Connect (emergency information sharing portal), the Bay County Mobile App (citizen reporting tool), an Interactive GIS Map system, the Passport Customer Portal (parking permits), and the Half-Cent Infrastructure Surtax Project Tracker. These services operate as separate web and mobile portals rather than an integrated platform, each serving distinct citizen-facing functions in emergency management, utility services, permitting, and infrastructure communication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AlertBay Emergency Notification System
• Community Connect Portal
• Bay County Mobile App
• Bay County Interactive GIS Map
• Utility Bill Payment and Water/Wastewater Services
• Half-Cent Infrastructure Surtax Project Tracker
• Public Records and Lien Search Portal
• Building Permits and Fire/Life Safety Inspections
• Bay County Safety Action Plan Interactive Story Map
• Bayway Public Transit Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% discount on flood insurance premiums for residents through Class 5 CRS rating
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Association of Counties (NACo)minorOthersBay County participates in NACo's prescription discount card program, providing free prescription discount cards to county residents offering average savings of 25% off retail drug prices
• American Heart AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay County Fire Rescue participates in the Mission: Lifeline program, receiving Gold and Silver achievement awards for stroke and cardiac care performance standards
• National Weather ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Weather Service offices partnered with Florida communities including Bay County to offer virtual tropical training sessions for emergency preparedness
• Northwest Florida Water Management DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for waterway management, including storm debris cleanup projects in Bayou George Waterway and watershed protection efforts
• Florida Public Transportation AssociationcoreOthersBayway transit system received six awards including Florida's 2024 Top Transit Agency recognition from the Florida Public Transportation Association
• United Way Northwest FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program providing free tax filing support at A.D. Harris Learning Village, with Bayway providing free transportation for residents
• Rebuild Bay CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPost-disaster recovery partnership operating cooling shelters and warming shelters during extreme weather events for community support
• Gulf Coast State CollegeminorOthersBay County Citizens Academy sessions held at Gulf Coast State College facilities for community education about county services
• FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay County participates in National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and Community Rating System. County adopted updated FEMA flood maps effective August 2024

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/boccpio
• Facebookfacebook.com/BayCountyFLEmergencyServices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bay County