District Clerk Lantz to retire March 31; Tonroy appointed to serve out term

Districtclerknews — A mostly white-and-gold official Kerr County, Texas, seal with all-white logo are shown above black text on a green background stating: "Appointment made to fulfill term of retiring District Clerk."

Kerr County District Clerk Dawn Lantz has announced she will retire from public service, with her last day scheduled March 31. She has been with Kerr County since 2008, and has served as the district clerk since 2019.

“Her dedication, service and commitment to the citizens of Kerr County has been greatly appreciated,” said 198th District Judge M. Patrick Maguire and 216th District Judge Albert D. Pattillo III in a joint statement.

Simultaneously, the pair of judicial district judges announced that, in accordance with and responsibility to Texas law, they have selected someone to serve out the remainder of Lantz’s unexpired term.

“Please join us in welcoming Eunavae Baublit Tonroy into this very important position in the service of our community,” they said.

When Tonroy steps into her new role as district clerk at the start of April, it will be just a few months ahead of when she might be officially sworn into that office as an electee. That’s because she won the Republican Party nomination during the March 3, 2026, Primary Election – narrowly defeating opponent Amber Longenbaugh, 51.89% to 48.11%. There is no Democratic opponent running for the position, and if no write-in candidate emerges, she will be named the next elected district clerk after the Nov. 3, 2026, General Election.

Tonroy has a long history with the local community, with her family tracing its history in Kerr County back five generations.

She also has more than 30 years of career experience in team management. Since 2022, she has been the administrative assistant to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha.

Before that, she worked in the Kerr County District Clerk’s office starting in 2018. She served as a deputy district clerk under two different elected leaders, all the while gaining a working knowledge of the court system – experience that will undoubtedly serve her well in her new post.

During her campaign, Tonroy promised that, if elected, she would bring a positive atmosphere and strong leadership to the office. And, once the final votes were counted and she was the winner in the primaries, she was quoted saying: “I am overwhelmed, humbled and grateful for the confidence Kerr County voters have given me in this election.”

The district clerk is an elected office with terms of four years.

The Kerr County District Clerk’s Office works with and serves as clerk and custodian of the records for five different courts. It is responsible for collecting court fees and fines, documents from court proceedings, managing jury selection for two district courts, submitting data reports to state and local agencies, providing public access to court records, managing record preservation and managing court registry fees. The office also is responsible for processing passport applications.