County judge pushes donor-linked bid for surveillance

In Webb County, Texas, a county judge and Republican congressional candidate moved quickly to award a surveillance-tracker contract to a company whose CEO has donated to his congressional campaign—despite concerns from another commissioner about unaccounted re

On October 27. 2025. the Webb County Commissioners Court was reviewing proposals for a new surveillance system for the Webb County Sheriff’s Office. Before the other members could even fully weigh the bids. county judge and Republican congressional candidate Tano Tijerina launched into a motion to award the contract to Monarch Tracking.

The motion came early in the hearing—so early that Tijerina asked four other members of the court to hold their motions so he could proceed. “I’m gonna go ahead and move a motion. I’ve already gone into this extensively,” he said on a video of the proceedings maintained by Webb County. “The only one that is from Loredo is Monarch Trucking [sic].” He then corrected himself and added. “They’re the only ones here locally. We’re gonna do this in-house. I think there needs to be somewhere we can just say come in and out. They’re absolutely incredible.”.

Webb County’s procurement began months earlier. In July 2025. the Commissioners Court approved the start of a process to purchase GPS trackers and dual-facing cameras for patrol units. As the first step. the court authorized the county purchasing agent to solicit proposals for a 13-month service agreement for 50 GPS trackers. according to county meeting minutes.

By October, the purchasing agent office returned 16 proposals, each rated across categories including “dash camera capabilities,” “support training and warranty,” “vendor experience and references,” and the financial cost, accounting for both upfront costs and recurring fees.

Monarch Tracking’s proposal did not stand out in the scoring categories. The Monarch Tracking bid didn’t rank highest in any category and finished fourth overall. What separated it. in the moment. was the judge’s insistence on moving toward an award—and his repeated emphasis that he expected the tracker system to expand to every county vehicle.

During the hearing, Tijerina said he intended the coverage to be broad. “Anything that’s under the insurance of the county, this will be for every vehicle, there’s not going to be any exceptions,” he said. “This is going to cover our bases all the way through.”

Commissioner John Galo interrupted with objections tied to the long-term cost. He raised concerns about recurring fees Monarch Tracking could charge—fees he estimated could cost the county tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Galo also pointed to an accounting gap: he said the recurring fees were not accounted for in the purchasing agent’s ranking. calling the omission “makes me suspicious.”.

Tijerina responded that the motion, if carried, would only begin negotiation. He also suggested it was unusual for this kind of procurement to be revisited. “For the public. in my eleven years that I’ve been county judge. this is perhaps my third time that I’ve ever re-ranked the proposals. ” he said. “Well, it’s not only the individual, it’s what he’s done, it’s the company. It’s what he’s done, he’s putting commercials out. I mean, it’s really, really impressive.”.

The “impressive” person Tijerina referred to appears to be Monarch Tracking CEO Neal Hill. Hill donated $3,364 to Tijerina’s congressional campaign across two donations, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The first donation occurred in July 2025, around the time Webb County began soliciting proposals for the tracking system. The second came in October 2025, less than a week before the meeting where Tijerina pressed his case on the record.

As of November 17, 2025, Monarch Tracking was awarded the contract with Webb County, according to government records.

The awarding of the contract landed amid Tijerina’s political rise. He officially announced his run for Congress in December 2025. The Texas Tribune reported that he was a top pick for the 28th District in the eyes of the national GOP. Tijerina is running against the incumbent, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas.

Before switching parties, Tijerina had been a Democrat. He left the party in December 2024. after telling Fox & Friends that “Over the years. I’ve watched the Democratic Party shift further and further to the left and leaving the values that I hold dear to my heart.” He also said. “I’ve always been a conservative. and the radicalization of the national Democrats pushed me away a long time ago.”.

Cuellar, in turn, has faced his own ethical troubles. In 2024. Cuellar was indicted for allegedly accepting $600. 000 in bribes from a government-owned Azerbaijani oil and gas company and as well as a bank headquartered in Mexico City. The case never went to trial. Following delays in the late summer of 2025, it was rescheduled for 2026. President Donald Trump pardoned Cuellar in December 2025, saying the congressman “bravely spoke out against open borders.”.

Cuellar has often positioned himself as one of the more conservative Democrats in Congress, alongside representatives including Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Jared Golden, D-Maine. In 2024, Cuellar won re-election by about 5 points in the 28th District.

The district’s politics have since shifted with redistricting. Texas’s Republican-driven mid-decade redistricting scheme redrew the district. Under the 2024 lines, Republicans enjoyed roughly a seven-point advantage. Under the new lines, Republicans have about a 10-point advantage in the district.

South Texas has also been politically volatile in recent cycles. Former Rep. Mayra Flores. R-Texas. posted a historic win in the nearby 34th District in 2022. and Trump made gains in the area in 2024. It remains unclear whether the region will swing back toward Democrats in 2026 or whether Republicans can solidify the gains they’ve made.

Neither Tijerina’s campaign nor Monarch Tracking immediately responded to a request for comment.

The sequence matters because it places a procurement decision—rated among 16 bids. disputed over recurring costs. and expanded in scope in the judge’s own words—alongside campaign donations timed to the exact period the county began shopping for trackers. In Webb County, the question was whether the contract was being pushed on the basis of scoring and price. In the minutes, the push was personal, fast, and decisive.

Webb County Texas Tano Tijerina Neal Hill Monarch Tracking GPS trackers dual-facing cameras Webb County Sheriff’s Office Commissioners Court campaign donations FEC filings Henry Cuellar 28th District redistricting Trump pardons Cuellar