Bexar County Purchasing Agent Patricia Torres was facing an array of complaints — from mismanaging government contracts to having retained a staff member who faced criminal drug charges — when the board overseeing her role decided to open it up to other applicants last August.
Even so, Torres’ years of experience in an obscure field helped her make it to the final interview stages in the candidate selection process last week, before a different candidate was ultimately chosen.
The purchasing agent oversees contract procurement for the county across its roughly $3 billion budget — a role that’s designed to create a check-and-balance system between the elected officials making spending decisions and the budget office executing the contracts.
The position’s employment is overseen by a rarely convened board of three civil court judges and two county commissioners, however, making it difficult to change directions if county leaders believe there’s a problem.
On Friday, the Purchasing Agent Board offered the position to Gregory Galloway II, a U.S. Army veteran whose resume includes overseeing contracts and procurement for the Alamo Area Council of Governments.
“We are excited to welcome Mr. Galloway to this important role,” said Judge Ron Rangel, the board’s chair. “His extensive experience and leadership will strengthen our procurement operations and support our mission of serving the community effectively.”
Torres was appointed to the role in 2020 and has taken significant heat from some county commissioners and department leaders who said she moved too slowly on county contracts.
She was not reappointed at the end of her first two-year term, but was allowed to remain in the role anyway.
At one point Sheriff Javier Salazar complained that she kept an employee on staff who was out on bond from a 2020 arrest involving felony drug possession charges. More recently, Torres’ son was arrested in connection with the death of a 21-year-old woman who was shot and killed at a Southwest Side party.
Of the roughly 90 candidates who applied for the position, few had experience with county purchasing policies.
Torres threw her name in the hat and was one of the highest-scoring applicants. Six candidates were invited to interview for the position last Friday, and she was among them.
Galloway is expected to start within the next several weeks.
