Several county offices will see closures or service changes this week and next due to the Christmas holiday.

Under the terms of Carter County’s policy on holiday observances, county employees receive not only Christmas Day off but two work days around the holiday as well. While Christmas Day falls on Monday, Christmas Eve falls on Sunday, so those three days off for the holiday will be observed on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday this year. County offices will close at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21, and will not reopen until Wednesday, Dec. 27.

The Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter is typically open for a partial day on Saturdays but will not be open this weekend, Dec. 23, due to the holiday schedule.

The County Clerk’s office — which handles vehicle registrations, marriage licenses, and other official services — is also typically open for a half-day on Saturdays. That office will also be closed on Dec. 23 as part of the Christmas holiday observances.

While other offices will be closed for several days, one county department will be operating on a different schedule.

Solid Waste Director Benny Lyons said the landfill provides an essential service to residents, which makes it difficult to shut down for an extended period of time.

“It absolutely kills us if we do,” he said.

The Carter County Landfill, the Carter County Recycling Center, and the Convenience Center located in Roan Mountain will be open for normal operations on Friday, Dec. 22. The landfill will operate from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Recycling Center will be open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Roan Mountain Convenience Center will be open from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

On Saturday, all of the solid waste department’s operations will be closed, including the Convenience Center in Elk Mills, which is typically open on Saturdays.

Landfill and Recycling Center operations will remain closed on Sunday and Monday.

The Landfill, Recycling Center, and Roan Mountain Convenience Center will reopen on Tuesday — the landfill at 7 a.m., and the Recycling Center and Roan Mountain site at 8 a.m.