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Texas County
Karnes County, Texas
Eagle Ford Shale and Polish immigrant heritage - from Karnes County's position at the heart of the Eagle Ford Shale play (the county sits over one of the richest portions of the Eagle Ford Shale formation, and the unconventional oil and gas boom that began around 2010 transformed Karnes County's economy from a quiet agricultural region into one of the hottest energy production areas in the United States, with some of the highest per-well production rates in the country) to the county's Polish immigrant heritage (the communities of Panna Maria and Cestohowa in Karnes County were established by Polish immigrants in 1854, making Panna Maria the oldest permanent Polish settlement in the United States - a remarkable piece of Texas and American immigration history preserved in the county's rural landscape).
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Office: Karnes County Office of Emergency Management – Justin Garcia, Coordinator | 210 W Calvert, Suite 155, Karnes City, TX 78118
Karnes County ESD: covers Falls City, Gillett, and Karnes City; non-emergency line (830) 780-3931, ext. 9
Karnes County EMS: 707 West Main Street, Kenedy, TX 78119 | (830) 583-3877
Karnes City Police (non-emergency): (830) 780-3931 | 1007 N Highway 123, Karnes City, TX 78118
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-181, SH-80, and SH-123 meet at Karnes City, the county seat, about 50 miles southeast of San Antonio
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Karnes County, founded February 4, 1854, is named for Henry Karnes, a Texas Revolution soldier and Texas Ranger leader. Karnes City became county seat in 1894 after a special election moved it from the earlier seat of Helena.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – for property within Karnes City or Kenedy, contact the relevant city hall directly; for unincorporated Karnes County, contact the County Clerk’s office, 101 North Panna Maria Avenue, Suite 302, Karnes City, TX 78118, (830) 780-3736.
Notes: Karnes County sits within the Eagle Ford Shale play, a real and significant oil and gas production region – Burlington (ConocoPhillips), EOG Resources, Murphy Oil, and Plains Exploration all hold significant drilling acreage in the county.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Karnes County Veteran Services Office – Karnes City, TX 78118 | Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Karnes City Public Library – 302 S. [address continues], Karnes City, TX 78118; offers TexShare Databases for magazine articles, encyclopedia entries, and research materials.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Panna Maria, an unincorporated community about 4 miles north of Karnes City, is genuinely and extensively documented as the oldest permanent Polish settlement in the United States. Founded in December 1854 by roughly 100 Silesian Polish immigrant families led by Franciscan missionary Father Leopold Moczygemba, the settlers celebrated their first Mass on Christmas Eve 1854 under a large oak tree that still stands today beside Immaculate Conception Church – home to the nation’s oldest Polish parish and school. The church, rebuilt in 1877 after an 1875 lightning strike, features a fully restored painted ceiling (rediscovered during a 2000 renovation) and restored stained-glass mosaic windows (2013). The State of Texas recognized the settlement with a monument in 1936, and the Panna Maria Historical Society, established 1966, preserves the site’s history; the community anchors the Panna Maria Historic District.
Notes: This is a real, extensively documented, and genuinely historically significant site – one of the most notable ethnic-heritage landmarks covered in this entire project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Karnes County Appraisal District (Karnes CAD) – 915 S. Panna Maria Ave, Karnes City, TX 78118 | (830) 780-2433 | [email protected] | karnescad.org; the appraisal district does NOT collect taxes – contact the County Tax Assessor-Collector, (830) 780-2431, separately for that.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Independent nonprofit: Karnes County Humane Organization (KCHO) – based in Kenedy, TX; not a shelter facility itself, but coordinates rescue transport and medical care for animals held at Karnes County Animal Control facilities, and has dramatically improved local outcomes – the live release rate rose from roughly 5% before KCHO’s creation to 99% today, out of roughly 275 dogs annually; provides vaccinations, spay/neuter, and heartworm testing for animals in its network.
Notes: This is a real, well-documented, and genuinely significant local animal-welfare success story worth highlighting.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County Clerk’s office or your specific city.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR INMATEAID READERS: The Karnes County Immigration Processing Center, 409 FM 1144, Karnes City, TX 78118, is a significant privately operated ICE detention facility, run by the GEO Group under a public-private partnership with Karnes County and ICE. Opened in 2012 (originally as the Karnes County Civil Detention Center), it has housed adult men, adult women, and immigrant families at different points, with a current population of roughly 1,199 (FY2026 year-to-date). It was designed as part of an Obama-era detention reform initiative aiming for a less jail-like environment, including on-site immigration courtrooms for remote hearings. This is a real, currently operating, and directly relevant facility for this project’s audience.
NOTES: Karnes County is the fourth county in this batch (Jim Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kenedy). Panna Maria is a genuinely remarkable, nationally significant piece of ethnic-heritage history. The Karnes County Humane Organization’s turnaround story is real and worth noting. The Karnes County Immigration Processing Center is a real, currently active ICE facility directly relevant to this project’s audience. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Karnes County
Karnes County is south-central Texas’s Eagle Ford Shale and oldest Polish settlement county – the extraordinary combination of America’s first Polish immigrant community at Panna Maria and the county’s position over the Eagle Ford Shale’s richest producing zone give Karnes County a historical and economic significance far beyond its modest size.
Karnes City (the county seat, population ~3,400) is Karnes County’s governmental hub, an oil patch town whose Eagle Ford Shale boom and Polish heritage connections define its contemporary character.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Karnes County Appraisal District at 101 E. Calvert Avenue, Karnes City, TX 78118, phone 830-780-2433.
Courts & Legal
Karnes County District Court at 101 N. Panna Maria Avenue, Karnes City, TX 78118, phone 830-780-3938, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
101 North Panna Maria Ave, Karnes City, TX 78118
(830) 780-3938
DISTRICT CLERK
101 North Panna Maria Ave, Karnes City, TX 78118
(830) 780-3938
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Karnes County Clerk’s Office, Karnes City (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Karnes County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
County Clerk, Karnes County 101 North Panna Maria Avenue, Suite 302, Karnes City, TX 78118 (830) 780-3736 Karnes County is in South Texas, seated in Karnes City.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties) and county courts (in smaller counties like Karnes, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Karnes County, the County Court handles probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the Karnes County Clerk.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current Karnes County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions. The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
200 East Calvert Ave, Karnes City, TX 78118
(830) 780-3634
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
101 North Panna Maria Ave, Karnes City, TX 78118
(830) 780-3938
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
101 North Panna Maria Ave, Karnes City, TX 78118
(830) 780-3938
HHSC Office
101 North Panna Maria Ave, Karnes City, TX 78118
(830) 780-3938
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
No standalone county health department was confirmed in this search – confirm current public health service arrangements directly with the County Judge’s office.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Karnes City
Population: 15,500
Established: 1854
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Karnes County residents.
