If you have business to handle in a city of Gainesville government office, it will have to wait until next week.

According to city staff, offices are closed today for a furlough day. City offices will also be closed Thursday and Friday for the Christmas holidays.

Today is the second furlough day for the city, the first one was Nov. 25. The furloughs are expected to continue until June 30. Although all city offices — excluding police, fire and water and wastewater treatment plant operations — were all closed on this year’s furlough days, beginning in January furlough days for city employees will be staggered so that no offices are closed.

Hall County offices will be closed Thursday and Friday for the holiday, as well as Monday, which is a county furlough day.

The Hall County government has been implementing a varied system of furlough days for the past year.

In both the city and county, the mandated furlough days — unpaid days off for employees — were set in place as a cost-savings measure.

Jefferson government offices will be closed Thursday and Friday for the holidays, as will Jackson County offices. The county offices also will be closed on Monday as a furlough day.

All government offices in Gainesville, Jefferson, Hall and Jackson are expected to be closed Jan. 1, New Year’s Day. The holiday and furlough schedule also will change garbage pickups in Gainesville. Garbage was picked up on Monday and Tuesday only this week, though recycling will operate as usual through Thursday. Customers who usually have garbage collection on Fridays will be picked up on Saturday.

The garbage schedule will be changed next week as follows: Customers who usually have garbage collection on Mondays will be picked up on Monday and Dec. 30. Those who usually have garbage collection on Tuesdays will be picked up on Tuesday and Dec. 31. Customers who usually have collection on Friday will be picked up on Jan. 2. Recycling will operate as usual through Dec. 31.