S.A. City Council appoints interim seat for member out for alleged DWI

The San Antonio City Council has been looking for candidates to fill in for Perry, who has been in the District 10 seat since June 2017. Council members granted Perry his request for a leave of absence after his alleged hit-and-run during what is suspected to also be a case of driving while intoxicated on November 6. 

Perry allegedly crashed his black Jeep Wrangler into a Honda Civic at the intersection of Jones Maltsberger and Redland roads and then fled the scene. The third-term councilman charged with failure to stop and give information, a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up $2,000 and 180 days in jail. He was released on a $1,000 bond after turning himself in once a warrant was issued, according to court records.

The City Council previously called for the resignation but dropped it from passed vote of no confidence. It’s unclear how long Perry will be on leave. His arraignment hearing on the hit-and-run charge is set for December 12.

Who is Gallagher?

Gallagher served as Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf’s media relations director during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, according to the San Antonio Express-News. He is president of the Northeast Neighborhood Alliance, a coalition of neighborhood associations, and the Northern Hills Homeowners Association.

He was first appointed by City Council to represent District 10 in 2014 when Carlton Soules resigned from the seat to run for Bexar County judge.  He won re-election in 2015 and then declined to run again in 2017.

Gallagher is a close friend of Perry and the two have been in touch frequently in recent weeks, according to the San Antonio Report.

What does the future look like?

In his statement for the seat, Gallagher said one of his main goals if re-appointed would be to make sure District 10 has “continuity.” He said, “I have told the District 10 staff that I fully intend to keep everybody on board. I think that’s very important because I don’t want to lose any of the programs or projects or items that they’ve been working on [on] behalf of the city and on behalf of District 10.”

At Thursday’s City Council meeting, District 6 Councilmember Melissa Cabello Havrda asked him about his top priorities for District 10. Gallagher said security was first.

“Number one, of course, has to be our security,” he said to the City Council members during the meeting. “And with that, we have to have the support of our police and fire departments. We have to make sure that they are supported in such a manner that they can handle the problems [and] the issues that are brought before them.”

He also said that infrastructure and code enforcement are some of his priorities. 

Gallagher will stay in the position until Perry returns or when the current term ends next June, whichever comes first. He said he does not plan on running for the seat in May.

“I’m looking forward to continuing the work of District 10 while Councilman Perry is away. I’m grateful for the district and city staff, who will make this transition seamless, and to the council for entrusting me with this duty,” Gallagher said.