The Bay County Tax Collector’s Office has been in a steady state of change since Mr. Perdue took office in 2016. Improved service delivery and technology enhancements are two of the goals the office has focused on achieving. Now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team finds themselves adjusting yet again. The service industry has been particularly hard hit as safety measures require organizations to reimagine service delivery. Regardless, customers who visit the Bay County Tax Collector’s Office should expect modifications in service delivery, but all changes have been made with their team, customers and community in mind.
Due to the social distancing guidelines and the need to manage the number of customers in the lobby at one time, customers who can complete their transactions online, through the mail or by drop box are asked to do so.
“When you serve walk-in traffic it is really hard to manage how many customers walk into our lobby at any given time. We knew we had to make a change to delivery if we were going to keep both our team and community safe,” said Tax Collector Chuck Perdue.
“Appointments certainly help us manage lobby traffic, but it also limits our ability to serve as many customers. We do ask customers who are renewing a tag or a driver license, to please do so online.”
The office website BayTaxCollector.com provides a link to all online services to make it easy for customers to find the service link they need to complete their transaction online.
One of the most popular online services is Express Lane, which allows for online renewal of a vehicle registration by 3 p.m. and pick up same day in the office location the customer selects. An added bonus of this service is the vehicle owner can designate another individual to pick up the renewal on his/her behalf. The customer simply needs to visit the office location selected and let a team member know they have an Express Lane pick up. The team member can retrieve the renewal and the customer will be on their way.
“There are a few transactions which require customers to visit our office in order for us to verify identification, test or capture signatures. These are primarily new Florida resident licenses/identity cards, first time driver licenses, concealed weapon permit applications and vehicle title work,” said Perdue.
Those customers who must visit a Tax Collector’s Office to complete their transaction will need to schedule an appointment in advance. All customers are encouraged to visit BayTaxCollector.com to schedule an appointment. Appointments are typically booked about a week out, so customers need to plan accordingly. Customers visiting the office are required to wear a face mask.
“We want to thank our customers for extending grace and understanding during this challenging time for everyone. We recognize some of the measures we are taking are inconvenient, but our goal is to do our best to protect both our team and community,” said Perdue.
For more information regarding the Bay County Tax Collector’s Office, please visit BayTaxCollector.com. You can also follow them on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest news, deadlines and information.
