Legal Department

The City Attorney is appointed by the City Commission and serves as the chief legal officer and advisor for the City of Kingsville. The City Attorney's Office provides all legal services for the City, including ongoing advice to city officials, preparation and review of legal documents, prosecution of persons accused of violating city ordinances, and representation of the City and city officials in lawsuits. When warranted, the City Attorney may contract with outside legal counsel when there are potential conflicts of interest and for specialized expertise and services.

• Is the legal advisor to the City Council, City Manager and staff, and official boards and commissions.
   

• Drafts legal instruments such as ordinances, resolutions, contracts, and agreements.
   

• Processes claims filed against the City.
   

• Prosecutes all municipal court cases. Municipal Court is responsible for court procedures, fines, traffic tickets, and other offenses.
   

• Provides oral and written opinions to the City Council, City Manager and staff.
   

• Represents the City in litigation and adversary proceedings.
   

It is our mission to provide the highest quality legal representation and services possible in a cost efficient manner to protect the interests of the City of Kingsville, Texas.

The city does not provide legal assistance, unless the information or assistance you are trying to obtain is City-related.

For free legal advice, please contact the Nueces County Legal Aide Division at (361) 888-0282 or Coastal Bend Legal Services at 800-840-3379.

Make the request as clear and specific as possible. You can mail, fax, deliver, or e-mail your request to the City Secretary. Provide a return address on your request and a daytime telephone number. An open records request does not require the City to produce information that is not in existence when received. The Public Information Act does not require a city to calculate information, to perform legal research, or to prepare answers to questions.

To report a problem with a private contractor or individual you hired and paid in full to perform a service and who never returned to start the work, please contact the Better Business Bureau of the Coastal Bend at (361) 852-4949 or 800-379-4222 with the name of the individual or company.

You may also contact one of the Justice of the Peace Courts at the following telephone numbers listed below. JP Courts have a jurisdictional limit of $5,000.

To obtain information regarding child support services, contact the Attorney General's Office at (361) 851-5024 or in Austin at (512) 460-6000 (automated system but if you hold for a few minutes a representative will be with you).

If the problem is in the easement/alleyway between two properties, please contact the City Engineering Department at (361) 595-8004.

If the tree is located in the right-of-way and is causing an obstruction for vehicles, please contact the City Engineering Department at (361) 595-8004.

The City's Legal Department does not handle family matters. You can contact the Legal Aide Office at (361) 888-0282 or Coastal Bend Legal Services at 800-840-3379.

To reach Kleberg County appointed officials and employees, the Kleberg County Courthouse is located at 700 E. Kleberg, 78363, and can be reached at 361-595-8585.

Other contacts at the Kleberg County Courthouse are:

To obtain information on your property taxes, please contact the Kleberg County Tax Assessor Collectors Office at (361) 595-8541 or the Kleberg County Tax Appraisal Office at (361) 595-5775 or visit www.taxnetusa.com.