Bay County
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1913
- HeadquartersPanama City, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Bay County firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Bay County industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Bay County is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Panama City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Bay County business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Property Taxes: Primary revenue source for county operations funded through property tax assessments on residential and commercial properties within Bay County
- Half-Cent Infrastructure Surtax: Dedicated sales tax for infrastructure improvements including roads, bridges, and public facilities
- Tourist Development Tax: Revenue from tourists visiting the area, supporting beach safety, tourism promotion, and related services
- Utility Services Revenue: Fees charged for water, wastewater, and related utility services to residents and municipalities
- Permits and Fees: Building permits, fire inspection fees, short-term rental registration fees, and various county service fees
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Free parking permits for M.B. Miller County Pier |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Prescription discount cards |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Animal adoption fees |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Waste Amnesty Days |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Bay County product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Bay County
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Bay County technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Bay County partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- National Association of Counties (NACo)minorBay 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 AssociationcoreBay County Fire Rescue participates in the Mission: Lifeline program, receiving Gold and Silver achievement awards for stroke and cardiac care performance standards
- National Weather ServiceminorNational Weather Service offices partnered with Florida communities including Bay County to offer virtual tropical training sessions for emergency preparedness
- Northwest Florida Water Management DistrictcoreCollaborative partnership for waterway management, including storm debris cleanup projects in Bayou George Waterway and watershed protection efforts
- Florida Public Transportation AssociationcoreBayway transit system received six awards including Florida's 2024 Top Transit Agency recognition from the Florida Public Transportation Association
- United Way Northwest FloridaminorPartnership 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 CountycorePost-disaster recovery partnership operating cooling shelters and warming shelters during extreme weather events for community support
- Gulf Coast State CollegeminorBay County Citizens Academy sessions held at Gulf Coast State College facilities for community education about county services
- FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)coreBay 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
Bay County competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bay County social profiles
Digital presenceBay County financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bay County leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Bay County funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bay County M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bay County
What does Bay County do?
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.
Is Bay County a public or private company?
Bay County is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Bay County founded?
Bay County was founded in 1913. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Bay County based?
Bay County is headquartered in Panama City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bay County make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Property Taxes are the primary driver. The others are half-Cent Infrastructure Surtax, tourist Development Tax, utility Services Revenue and permits and Fees.
Does Bay County have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bay County.
What industry is Bay County in?
Bay County's product category is Public Administration / County Government Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIALAD, Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance). Its NAICS code is 92216 and its SIC code is 4941.