Tano Tijerina Intervened To Award A Contract For GPS Systems For County Sheriff Patrol Cars To A Donor To His Congressional Campaign
October 2025: Tijerina Motioned To Award The Webb County GPS Contract To Monarch Tracking, Despite Monarch’s Bid Ranking 4th By Webb County’s Own Metrics
Headline: “GOP Candidate Pushed To Award A Donor With A Government Contract” [Salon, 6/11/26]
July 2025: Webb County Commissioners Court Approved The Start Of A Process To Purchase 50 GPS Trackers For The Webb County Sheriff’s Office. “In July 2025, the Webb County Commissioners Court, which serves as the governing body of the county in Texas, approved the start of a process to purchase GPS trackers and dual-facing cameras for use with the Webb County Sheriff’s Office patrol units. As a first step in this process, the Commissioners Court authorized the county purchasing agent to solicit proposals from companies for a 13-month service agreement for 50 GPS trackers, according to county meeting minutes.” [Salon, 6/11/26]
October 2025: Tijerina Motioned To Move Monarch Tracking To The Top Of The GPS Bid List And Award Them The Contract. “Motion by County Judge Tano E. Tijerina, seconded by Commissioner, Pct 4. Ricardo A. Jaime to approve re-ranking of proposals placing Monarch Tracking LLC #1, Acadian Total Security LLC #2 and Calamp Wireless Network Corp. #3 Vote: 5 - 0 Motion Carried” [Webb County Commissioners Court Meeting Minutes, 10/27/25]
Image: see original report, p. 14
[Webb County Commissioners Court Meeting Minutes, 10/27/25]
Webb County Received 16 Responses To Its RFP, But Monarch Tracking Did Not Rank First In Any Category, Instead Standing Out Because Of The “Strong Support” They Enjoyed From Tijerina. “In October, the Commissioners Court received 16 of these proposals back from the purchasing agent office, alongside ratings for the contracts in categories like ‘dash camera capabilities,’ ‘support training and warranty,’ ‘vendor experience and references,’ and the financial cost, accounting for both the upfront cost and the recurring fees. Of the 16 companies that put in their bid, one stands out — but not because it ranked the highest in any of these categories. In fact, the standout proposal from Monarch Tracking didn’t rank the best in any category and was only ranked fourth overall. The Monarch Tracking proposal stood apart from the others because of the strong support it enjoyed from Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina. In Texas, the county judge presides over and votes in the county’s commissioner court, which handles county government administration.” [Salon, 6/11/26]
Webb County Received 16 Proposals For The GPS Tracking Contract Where Monarch Ranked Fourth, And Failed To Rank First In Any Category.
Image: see original report, p. 15
[Webb County Commissioners Court Meeting Minutes, 10/27/25]
The Webb County Purchasing Agent Was Tasked With Purchasing Necessary Supplies And Materials And Contracting For All Repairs To County Property. “The Purchasing Department is a fundamental operation for Webb County. The Purchasing Agent is employed by the Webb County Purchasing Board as per Local Government Code, Section 262.011 (Purchasing Agents) and protects the interest of the Webb County taxpayers. The Purchasing Agent for Webb County is responsible for ensuring fair and equitable treatment to all suppliers without regard to political pressure. The Purchasing Agent for Webb County is charged with the responsibility of purchasing all supplies, materials, equipment required or used, and contracts for all repairs to property used by the county and supervises all purchases made on competitive bid both informally and formally.” [Webb County Purchasing Agent, accessed 5/1/26]
The Webb County Purchasing Agent Had A Mandate To “[Ensure] Fair And Equitable Treatment To All Suppliers Without Regard To Political Pressure.” “The Purchasing Department is a fundamental operation for Webb County. The Purchasing Agent is employed by the Webb County Purchasing Board as per Local Government Code, Section 262.011 (Purchasing Agents) and protects the interest of the Webb County taxpayers. The Purchasing Agent for Webb County is responsible for ensuring fair and equitable treatment to all suppliers without regard to political pressure. The Purchasing Agent for Webb County is charged with the responsibility of purchasing all supplies, materials, equipment required or used, and contracts for all repairs to property used by the county and supervises all purchases made on competitive bid both informally and formally.” [Webb County Purchasing Agent, accessed 5/1/26]