La Marque’s city manager officially stepped down from his position on July 7 following allegations of discrepancies on his employment application.
Joshua Blaine Pritchett was formally appointed city manager in May. In June, the La Marque Police Department began investigating the claims about his application after receiving a tip from a city council member.
Pritchett had been serving as interim city manager for the Galveston County town since January.
He stepped into the interim role following the departure of former City Manager Cesar Garcia, who resigned amid termination proceedings. In December 2024, the La Marque City Council voted 3–2 to move forward with Garcia’s removal, citing budget mismanagement, communication failures, and poor staff oversight as primary reasons.
Garcia was appointed as Kemah’s city administrator in February.
After his own resignation, Pritchett was charged with two misdemeanors: fraudulent or fictitious military records and fraudulent or fictitious academic credentials. Now, two weeks later, he faces new and more serious charges including:
- First-degree felony arson
- Third-degree felony tampering with physical evidence
- Misdemeanor filing a false report to a peace officer
These new charges stem from an incident on July 3, when La Marque police responded to a small fire at Pritchett’s home.
Officers noted graffiti on a fence reading “FYou Lowry Rules,” a reference to Councilman Joseph Lowry, who had previously criticized Pritchett on social media and is believed to be the individual who initially reported the alleged misconduct.
Authorities now believe Pritchett may have set the fire himself and falsely reported the incident to law enforcement.
On Saturday, Pritchett was found in Rockwall County where he was taken into custody without incident.
He was then transported to Galveston County Jail, arriving around 9 p.m. His bond has been set at $90,000. Pritchett has denied the allegations and continues to maintain his innocence.
