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Karnes City, TX, welcome sign IMG 2719Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Karnes City

How is Karnes City run?

Karnes City’s city government spent $3.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,020 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Karnes City didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$3.5M
year to September 30, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$1,020
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$754,000
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
26
full-time · 6 part-time · March payroll $108,290
Typical tax bill
$1,120
1.20% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Karnes City is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Who works for Karnes City

One full-time city employee for every 131 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (3,406).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police8
Water & other utilities6
Administration & buildings2 + 6 pt
Sewer & trash3
Courts, inspections & corrections2
Parks & libraries2
Fire1
Roads & transportation1
Other1
26
full-time
6
part-time
$108,290
payroll for March 2022
$1.3M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$49,700
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
8
sworn police officers
1
full-time firefighters
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Karnes City’s 2022 budget was a Census estimate, so there is no group to compare with.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,020 per resident a year, or $2.79 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: courts, inspections & corrections, at 57%.

Where the money comes from
Property taxes 61%Sales taxes 22%Fees & charges 8%Other taxes & licenses 4%From the state 3%Interest, fines & other 3%
An estimate

Karnes City didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Building projects $435,000; interest on debt $34,000. With these, the whole budget was $3.9 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Karnes City yet

Every year of Karnes City’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,120 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.20% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
Karnes City$1,120
$1,120
typical bill a year
1.20%
effective rate
$93,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Karnes City’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Tax bills are one input to Karnes City’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Karnes City →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Karnes City

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See cityofkctx.com for Karnes City’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Karnes City yet.cityofkctx.com ↗
Agendas

Karnes City’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofkctx.com ↗.

The school district

Karnes City Independent School District

Karnes City’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Karnes City →
$22,463
per pupil · TX $12,815
1,031
students
$30.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $22,463 per pupil, $11,475 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 73%State 10%Federal 17%

Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Karnes City’s votes are counted by county

Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Karnes City alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Karnes County’s results.

President · Karnes County’s results5,075 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican78.8%4,001 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat20.7%1,051 votes

Others: 0.5% (23 votes).

Most votes in Karnes County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Karnes City lies in Karnes County. Every 2024 race in Karnes County is on the county’s page.

Karnes County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Karnes City

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Karnes City.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Texas HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Karnes City’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Karnes City’s government

How much does Karnes City spend per resident?

About $1,020 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Karnes City didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $3.9 million.

What is the property tax rate in Karnes City?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,120 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.20% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofkctx.com.

Who runs Karnes City’s government?

See cityofkctx.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Karnes City yet.

How did Karnes City vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Karnes City alone. Karnes County, where 100% of Karnes City lies, voted Trump 78.8%, Harris 20.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Karnes City?

26 full-time and 6 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $108,290 (about $1.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Karnes City in the state legislature?

State Senate District 21 (Judith Zaffirini) and State House District 31 (Ryan Guillen). The House district also covers 21 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Karnes City’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (for Karnes City, the Bureau’s estimates); day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →