Port Mansfield has about 700 permanent residents, most of whom are retired, with the
rest being local business people and fishing guides. There is very little industry in Port
and many residents work in the tourist or fishing trades. Some houses in Port are owned by
out-of-towners and are available for resort rental only. Port Mansfield is run by the
Willacy County Navigation District. Land is on 30-year leases from the District with
automatic renewal. When purchasing land, the buyer is actually getting only the leashold
interest and improvements to the land. Leases are transferred from seller to buyer after
approval from the WCND. Banks will loan money for the purchase of leased land in Port
Mansfield. Lease payments are made to WCND and there are also some taxing districts to
which payments must be made.
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FISHING / HUNTING LICENSES
Almost everyone in Port Mansfield does some fishing and should buy a fishing license.
Licenses are available at the marinas and are valid September 1 _ August 31. Fishermen
must also get a Saltwater Sportfishing Stamp at the same time. Game wardens do issue
tickets for no fishing license and will sometimes check fishermen's catches for limit and
size violations, even on the piers.
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COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Handle most of your personal and business affairs at the county courthouse located in
Raymondville on W. Hildago. Jury duty summons for Port Mansfield residents can be for the
Willacy County court in Raymondville or federal court in Brownsville.
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COURTHOUSE ANNEX / TAX OFFICE
Municipal and government functions are done at the Tax Office in Raymondville located
behind the main courthouse. Tax matters, vehicle registrations, license plates, title
transfers, and the updating of your voter registration card are handled at the Tax Office.
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DRIVER'S LICENSE / VOTING
Update your license at the DPS office in Raymondville across from the courthouse. The
state now allows you to renew your voter registration card for Willacy County at the same
time you change your address on your driver's license. Voting in Port Mansfield for local,
state and national elections is done at our Chamber Building.
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POST OFFICE
All mail is delivered to our post office and must be picked up there, no home
deliveries are made. Post office boxes are available at minimal cost, otherwise your
mailing address is General Delivery. Attended mail pickup is weekdays from 9 am _ 1 pm and
on Saturday from 9 to 11 am. PO boxes have keys and 24-hour access.
The mail delivery truck takes outgoing mail about 3:30 pm and delivers it to McAllen
for processing. Our small, local post office does provide full services. Raymondville has
a large post office.
It is important to use your street address for deliveries from UPS or other delivery
services. UPS shipping is done at Watson's City Drug in Raymondville.
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TELEPHONE SERVICE
Port Mansfield's area code is (956), the local prefix is 944, and we are serviced by
the Valley Telephone Cooperative. Only San Perlita is in the local calling
area—everywhere else is long distance. Some custom calling features and internet
connection are available. There may be a charge for excess information requests and a
small line use charge for each call, even if busy or otherwise not completed. The co-op,
however, pays dividends which offsets some costs over the long run. The VTC office in
Raymondville is at 480 S. 6th.
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UTILITIES
Electric service is provided by Central Power & Light and their office is located
in Raymondville at 211 W. Hildago. Power in Port is interrupted a bit more often than in
many other cities.
Water, sewer, garbage, and other services are provided by the Willacy County Navigation
District, 248-5252, and they keep a crew of workers busy in Port. Their Raymondville
office is at 295 E. Hildago and they are involved with many Port Mansfield events.
Telephone service is provided by Valley Telephone Co-op, (800) 446-2031.Their office is
in Raymondville at 480 S. 6th.
Cable television is from Port Mansfield Cable TV, though the cable channels are quite
limited and many residents are switching to small satellite TV antennas from Primestar,
(800) 222-5355, or the DSS systems available from Mathes Satellite, 425-9607 or from the
Valley Telephone Co-op.
Piped natural gas is unavailable in Port and gas appliances must be converted for
propane which is available by truck delivery to your storage tank. Companies that deliver
to Port Mansfield are Federal, 347-3433, and Lone Star Propane, 425-3669.
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BANKING
There are two banks in Raymondville which service Port Mansfield residents — First
Valley Bank at 400 W. Hildago, and Bank of Texas at 116 E. Hildago. These banks are also
used to lending money for real estate purchases in Port. Merchants throughout the Valley
will usually accept checks from these Raymondville banks.
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HOSPITALS
Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, 421-1100, is located at 2101 Pease (off Ed
Carey Drive). Keep in mind that the emergency room, 421-1860, is about 45 miles away and
is where the ambulance must take injured or ill persons. A local ambulance is available.
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Annual vehicle inspections require a trip to Raymondville where there are a number of
inspection stations, including the car dealerships or Beto's Garage located at 495 E.
Hildago. Cars trouble also means a trip to Raymondville for parts and repair.
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