Case Information
*1 R-75 PRICE DANIEL ATIOHNEY GEXERAL
Hon. Il. L Elneoa, Jr. lrrditor aptaJ mlk coutq
Llrlng8ton, Terra
bear Sirt opinion MO. 7- 26
Boa. 6. L. Hm3on, Jr. - page 2 Court approve peyrolls aad ‘Osn the Ucmtmls8lomr8
paymoat of purehaw orders and trensnot business with the Ooamlsslo~r of Prealaot MO. 1 abmnt from the statst
'Can he rppolnt a forenn to rot OS his superrisor of rord B8lQteMfiae rnd owstruatlon him mad the ooml88lomr oontlttm his work ia Misslsslppltm Ths Wmsry QuemUoa by
lyour iaqulry Is mhsthsr or pamated
pot, wder ths mate submitted, ths psawoa in gwstlon hss nested or 8bondoned his oSf1ee OS Qaunty O~ssloaar.
In Uords aad Mee*, Vol. S7, peps 2l6-270, uo find the ~ouowing &floltlon8t
.~,-A-- . . . 4, I. d . . -2.
wRe81dewe 18 indeed mde up of hat mad lntbtttiort~ that ie, of abods rith latoat1oa af lw*irrtrrg. aut3t not brokeab7gofagto seekraotherabods, but ooatWse8 ir uatll the faot mad lakatiea aaite :a aaother abode elss- rhere.w 37 Ii. & P. p56. that his iraily 'stlm lima +a YOU etnte io p&w letter
Polk Oouat.J.B theseSore, 18 eaaaot bs stated as 8 rttor OS la+ that the person la qaeetioa romow d. his met&mea Srom Polk Ooutif "? ~ thsreb7 runted his offloe. rule thnt ‘f8llare to qlvXiQ .!Xt 18 a mwrr3. for 8a
otfloe rithla tb the preserlkd br 28~ does not ltwlf o reat* l msaas7.w mamma ~s.amhm, 81 8.~. x237, W.
8ee l l8o~Temssavlspsdease f76.
Us qttate tbs follmllrg imm 54 Texas Jwlsprndease 375t fallare to aomply t&t %ha Oowtltutloo kelmws rlth the nquinwnt rlthin the State, rad all diltrlot or emat all sit11 oifloerr shall nslds thnt olfloers rithin tbsLr dl8trlots or aollntlas, an4 Qll keep t&eir offiaes l t suah pkees es ry be nQulred by low -11 raoste the oftlee so hold. This prorlslon Is mif-amcuti~ *3 - page 3 Hon. E. L. Hlnson, Jr, ilIt force
and needs no &@3btiQS action to put It aa8 effect. Under it a county officer who rebmoves from the ,county sad establishes a residence elsewhere thereby vacatea his office, But absence from the State or in- ability or ut~llliagness to perform the duties of the off ice * or the mere absence of a county officer from the county while lnvoluutarily In the lailitarg service of the United St&em, without any shouiug QS to the pro- b&h duration of his abnme, does not create a vacancy.” See rlsot Cmvford ~8. S~unQers, 25 9. W, 102; Bamllton vs. King, 206 9. w. 953.
From 8 stud7 of the above cited authorit:es, it meems to be In Texas that a vacanc7 Is not areated bg an offiaer’a absence settled from the State or his lnablllt7 or unwllllngness to psrfon! the duties Of hi8 OffiC8. In order to constitute an abendoment, there must be an aatual or Imputed luteat on tho part of ths officer to relinquish the vs. City of Ssu Antonio (005. hpp.) 220 S. W. 77; off ice. 9tslngruber Horny vs. Qrahara, 39 Tex. 1; 34 Ter. Jur. 385.
Uuder the facts prsssnted, the person in question has been and is working In HlesIssippl, but at the same time ha returns at inter- vals to meet with the Commlssioners~ Court. Such facts do not show an lntentlon to abandon the offloo. Therefore, It asnnet be stated as a matter of law. that he has vacated or abandoned the office of County Comslsslonmr .
It lo etated la 34 Ter. Jur. 511-513 1 ?l!he ampnaatlori sttsohod to aa office belwa to the persoa legally holding the offioe, for the tern ha may hold it. His rl.ght to It attmhes as soon am hb takes the , a8th of office 6ud quallfles aoaordlllg to law, and ends 1 wheu his term ends, whether by expiration of $lme, death, mslgrmt Ion, or bollshaout of the offloq bf law. . .
“To entitle a person to redover the emoluments of an off lae, he must show that he Is an officer de jure, that the office has been Isg~lly arsated aud Is In existence, and that he has been legally plaaed thereid and has a legal right thereto. .
‘The eslsr7 or emolumsats are Inaldent to the title of off fae and not to it a ocauzxt Ion or the Derformance offiairl duties. In order to recowr the-amount. the offlaer Is not required to show that h ha di schsr@d the dutIee of the off Ice) nor 1s he prkded f rom my covering by the fact that he has been wrongfully deprived *4 Hon. E. L. IilUBOcl, Jr. - 'page 4
of the right to perform the oervicea, UP chat e.nother persm has performed then." (Eiapbzsis aurs)
We quote the followin& from Beard vs. City or D~CXIELW, 64 Tex. 7:
“To the person legally holdlne the offloe belong the perquisltas and emollmaents attached by law to the offlee, as fully 85 doe9 the office Itself. . .
0 the mfiry or emolument annexed to a public off lce'l; keideat to the title of the off Ice and not lo its 0aauEWtioP or exercim3. The people t ‘bulton, 2U Cal 44~ Fhe PeopZe, etc. va. iial*fit &al. vs. Woodward, 12 Heisk, 499; ‘&oll
21; Mayor etc.’ va. 37 Cal. 195; Dolsa h-8. Mayor etc., 68 pI.Y. Seibenthabr, 275; Hoveany vs. zhe myor, 80 B. Y. 192; the Auditors.
eta. vm. Benolt, 20 Xlch. l91'. (Rnpheals oure.)
Ye quote tb8 follouiag from City Xouaton vu. X&em, 79 5.1 848, error refuaedr
'CThat under them facts he beoame an offlat@ de jura la mustained by the vblght of authority. . . lie was there- after discharged vlthout ofause by one having PO authority . The effort oust him was a nullity, and, to oust him.
his salary being an incident of the office his right to the emolumentts did not detmnd on the perforamncc by him of offlcl.81 service. ” ~.Emphesls ours)
32nae the person in qlieeat ion is aov legally holding the offlc of Commissioner, on the baeie of the foregoing authorities Ye are farad to hold that he Is entitled to the emolument8 incident to the offlmi until hia term ends; vhether by expiration of tlm, death, reslgnrtlou or rsmotal from office, and yvu are authorized to approve the plymeat ( UW. i I
Section 24 of &tlcPle IT of our State Countitutiou provides: “County Judgea, County At%ornegs, Clerks of the Diatrlct end County Courts, Justicea of the Peace, Comtabka, +nd other county officers miy be removed by: the Ju&zes of the Dlatirict hrta for ineometency. off l.ci.al mlscondnot, habit-1 drunka- other &uses hifined by Zau, upon the OIUM therefor -or king set Sorth la vrltlng aad the flndlnfz of its truth by a m. (Brpbsls our(I)
Hon. E. L. Hlnsoa, Jr. - Page 5
Article 5940, V.A.C.Y., provides: ‘All district and county attorneys, county judges, COSlUliSBiOlASl’S, clerks of the district and county courts and single clerks In counties where one clerk r?lscher&es the duties of dlatrlct and oounty clerk, county treasurer, nherlff, aurveyoop, asseesor, collector, constable, county wattle and hfde inupector, justice of the peeae and all county offlwre nov or hereafter existing by authority either of the Constitution or &WE, may be removed from offlae by the judge of the dLstrlct court for Lncompetencg, official nlsooaduat or becorping lntoxlaeted by drlnkipg 1ntoxIcatIng liquor, as e beverage, whether on duty or not; shell not be removed for beoomlng provided suoh offtoer Intaxioeted vhen it appears upon the trial of such officer that auah 1ntoxiortIon was produoed by drinking lntoxlcat- lag lIquora upen the dire& Ion and prescript Ion of a duly licensed practicing physiolan of this State. m
Article 5971, V.A.C.S., provides;
“In every mm of removal from office for the causes nemed in the preoedIng rrtiole, the cause or causes thereof shall be mat forth In vrItIngk and the truth 04 ss:d cause or oauses bs fouad by a jury.
Article 5972, V.A.C.S., providesa
“By sinaompatenoyl as wed herein ia meant gross lgnoraaaa of offiaLo1 duties, or gross ourelessm3w In the dlsoharge of them; or an offlaer msy be found to be incompetent vhen, by remon of sow mrioue physical or merital dofeot, not existing at the time hla electlon, he has beoome unfit or usable to dlsoherge promptly and proper4 the duties of his office. ” t
In the 09m OS Reeves vs. State, 267 S. U. 666, the Supraw Court held thst “an actloo oust A county officer for offlola als- eon&at is for the benellt of the public atid mutat be oonduated In the MW of St&e of 4exae. and be represented by a county or district albrney. m
The oaee of Mote ex rel DOVWI et al vs. Barney, 161, S. U. the rfSIov81 from off ice 2d 55, (wit refused) involved 8n action in reviewing the consti- of the Sheriff of Yuew~ County. The Court, tutlouel nd otatutcp- provisions above set out, made the follovlng _.. .~ observatloar
nuu. n. 4. HUNO~, or. - Page 6
*we have washed the firm conclueion that the of the aherlff met be sustained; contentions that thie to remove the Bherlif of lfueoea purely 10001 action Oounty uhould hew? been browbt. if at alf. by the aountg or dlrtrlct attorney oi tlmt county. . . . I . . such aatlom as this may ba laatltuted 001~
-‘by the dlstrlot or sounty rttorne ndthat th 0 Attorney Beae,ml alon osy not lnitlmte It 3 &ha810 ourrr) IB v3.0~ OS the fongoirrg, It Ia our opl~oa that tha person in qn48tion 8an only b4 removed, If at all, bg a proper proceeding in Court brought by the aounty or dlatrlot l ttor0ey. 'phi8 the Dlrtrlct D8~rtl88Ut UUOt p;88 UpOR th. qU48tiOP Of Uh4th4r OF not I8 t&Z'4 oauem for removal, for au& pwstIon am only be Qotormlnod by the dlatrlat Court l ud the truth OS SId 08uaa la to be d4tOXmln8d by a 1-y a8 prarId8d In Art1al.a V, S8ctlon 24 OS our stat4 Oon8tltutloa ana art1610 5971 OS our statukr. t&t l rrjthne memb8rs of POVW8
Art1clc 2343, V.A.C.S., th4 &8E8i48iOlWr8' Inolutllng the county juQg8; ahall oonstltute COlDt, a Quorum Sor the tlPaaactlon of any bu8lfma8, excapt that of lavylng acootmty tax. IIiI ‘Vi4P 0s the fO~4egOing 8tEtUt4, it 18 UOt LMC4888uCy that
the Commls8Iouer in question be pr48oat at a mnotlng of the C0ma188101i 8841 Racer v8. Btate, 73 Court wid aourt tranrot bU4ine88. 203 8. w. 438; and mltotl 18. Al 8. w. 9681 Oobb and Gregory vs. Dl44, 110 Texan 68, 2l5 3. W. 439.
Artlola 6741, V. A G. S., uthorlzoa the purcfuae or hire b C~Ia8lOMr8' Court Of %ll noa48nry road UChiWry, to018 or 8uoh bbor a8 my ba mao8rry. . . to build or repnlr to-81 m. . . the mttor T8. 04Aoho oounty, 196 8. w. (a) 833, 835. n WI iOBd8.” b8 OOt4d tht 4U4h pOv4r F48t8 aOt VithIII th4 indlrMPr1 CoS8Il8OiOlrsr but with tho OaaPai88iOlWl'8' 00-t.
YOU in tb4r4fo?4 ~rltlkoriz4d to. lib pmymont of th4 utorirl , 8appli4raw4xp6a444 vhI& hv4 approve o rdend Or l uthorlmd b tb OoMI48lOlIOr8' Cool-t. b0er.i lo@-
bxtiolo 6’IU, V.A&.&, pi’dcb~sc
'LIaept vhen road OO~iO8iOCWIr8 are employad, the oounty aomlaaiocmrs aVl1 k aupervl80ra OS publio Imad8 and eU!h COl8BiaeiOll4r till In their l'48p4OtiV4 OOUIiti4S, hla a~i88i~Or8 pre- 8Up4rVl~ thB public road8 Within oinot on44 oath month. 80 alnll alao mmko a morn report to oaah regular term of tb ommIsalonera court held la hlr oounty during the y-r, ahouiags
Hoa. E. L. liinson, Jr. - ?8ge 7
"1, The aonditlon of all road8 Wad pErts of made in hla preolnat.
"2. The oondltfon Of all oulvort.8 and brldgpa. rphe -at “3. O? UOmJ PO=ittiiag ill th4 hOti8 Of oubjeot to k OX@.ndod ~a th. P-d8 WIthIn owPooor8
hi8 proainat. 94. f h4 WUb8P Of l i.b pOOt8 and finger bard8 64-
Sa44d and torn dam. Of my klad 4hOU~ b8 “5. Ybrt, ii rSJ, WV M&8
op8nod in hlo pm0inat, urd vhat, lf m;l brldg,o, aulvwt8, o r oth er iuprov4wto l r4 n444or~ to pt44 the romdo in him pPB4iRBt iR #ld OOaditiOll l rrd thB PPO-b 404t Of 8U4h laprovosrato~ al00 th4 mm8 of *vary ovormor uho h8a tailoe to prfom hi8 to vork ao. th. -6, or in ~~ nf Imglroted duty. “8Af.d POpOPt Itu&& b4 B-6 llp4R thB UiRUt48 Of th4
oourt, to bs aoaBid4nd in -ora pub110 mad8 and de- tha OmouOt trmrs bvi4d temlnl~ thosefor.
It; 18 a goprrrl rule tlmt pnbllo dutima vhloh ~ulre the W thB mrt oi th4 OffiCOr, OaSIRot b8 ou?Uiw Of? -800 OP di44WtiOR mu4 vs. hle ?Into &x&J, 71hr. 99, 8 drlet@od bi tiio affi4.P. 8. Y. 634; 34 ‘rox. fur. 4%
It lo our apialocl that dutl4o pawrorlkd by Artlo3.8 67l.3 l w or aloontlcm on the port duties uhlah nqulrr th. 4~4Polw of m and h4 arrrnot l ppolat morn ast aa a-40+3 super- of ttw 0ammI8oIomr, vimor In his plroo. t&t 44 vl* to point out, howvor, In thio 4onn44tlon, tb Qcuioaiorwro' &tide 6737, V.A.O.S., ruth4ri.040 OouPt to ml07 not x444dw mur (I) ma6 maioilbps. lut~iou 6738, v.A.c.B., (rtloo Of l ne h r 48d o~I88IoR4ro. 4am8mat40 ArtIol4 the pcnroPo.amd Oolvt to appoint a raad 6743, v.A.~Q.S., aothorium t& QamUioioruro* 8IrpPiotWbtint fOf th4 OOlantJ OP a U& 4alo#lOE4r 0 pnela4t. ~~~~7~~~~~~~f'L:~~~td",'tho aod dut%48 of 8tNh pouora rord rUp@P%ZitOtiat. road a8
aa4 above nntloaod Artiol.48 foll048r Qrt. 6737. ;rBplomnt 4~~x07 not 4xa44ditAg
%88h OOmiOliOluP8 OOUFt n7 *8 Non. 6. L. Hinson, Jr. - Page 8
four road commissionera, rho shall be reaideat cltieens of the diatrlct for which they are employed, snd uhen more than one is employed, the di8triCt that each reed cornmlsaioaer la to control ahell be defined and fIxed by the court. Such road coamLs8l.onera Bhall receive such compensation aa may be agreed upon by the aourt, not to exceed tvo dOllJD8 per dEy for the time 8ctwlly engaged.
Each road commlaeiotaer shall first execute a bond, pey- able to the county judge of the aountg and hI8 8ucces8ora In office, In sureties, to be approved by the county judge,' and conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties."
"Art. 6738. Povera sad duties
“A rood comml88loner 8hall have control over all overaeer8, hands, and teaIXI8 t0 be used tOOl8, ImChiMWy upon the road8 In his district; and may require ovorwers to order out hand8 In any number he mey designate for the purpose of openlug, vorklng or repairing road8 or buildings OF repairing bridges or culvert8 In his district. He ahell we thet all rOad8 and bridge8 In hi8 district are kept in 8008 ropeir, and he 8hal1, under the direction and control of the commisalonercr court, inaugurate a system of grading and draining public roada in his district, and me that 8Uch ayatem is oarried out by the overaeera and handa under hi8 control, and ahall obey all Order8 of the caamniaslonera court; and he ahell be naponslble for the safekeeping end liable for the 1088 or de8tructlon of all atachinerg, toola or teams pieced Under hla control, unless 8uch loss la uith- out hl8 fault, and when he shall be dlaaharged he shell deliver them peraon designated by the CoUrt."
“Art. 6743. Appolntlncat I "The aommIsaioaer8 court of any county subject to thI8 law umy appoint a cOinpete& person as road superintendent for such county, or one 8uah 8uperintendent in each cam- miselonera precinct, a8 it shall deteralne by an order made at a regular term thereof. Such order shall be entered on the minute8 of 8UCh Court, and shell not be void for want of form, but a aubatont Ial complInnce with the provlslona of this subdivision ahali be 5UffiCIent. Every road SUperinten- bent ahall be a qua1Ified voter in the county or precinct for vhich he ia appointed, and 8hall hold his office for two years or until removed by the commiaaioner8 court good CBUbB. No county shsll be under the operetion of this lam whose commlaalcuera court doea not appoint a road superin- tendent or superintendents." *9 -
Hon. E. L. Kinson, Jr. - Page 4 6746. Pouers
“ht. “Sub ect to the orders of said oourt, eaah superlnten- dent shal i have general supervisloa over all public roads of his county or preoinot, and shall superintend the laying out of nev roads, the making, changing, vorklng and repalr- , Ing of roads, and the building of bridges except vhere otherwise contraoted, and over all county convicts worked on such roads, but this shall not. prevent the commissioners court from employing a person to vatoh and msnage such con- victs and direct the work to bs done by them. Said road superintendent shall take aharge of and bs responsible for the safe-keeping of a11 tools, psohlnery, implements and teams plaaed under his oontrol by the comsissloners oourt and execute his receipt therefor, vhleh shall be filed vith county clerk. Be shall be liable the loss, Injury of any suah tools, team8, Implements or or destructlou maohinery unless such loss oooured vlthout his fault, and for ths vrongful or ‘improper expendftun of any road funds oomlng into his hands. On leaving office, he shall dellver all such money and property to suah person as the commls- sioners court may direct. ”
It will be noted that the employment of rosd commissioners or road superintendents is left to the discretion of the Commlsslonerst Court and not to the Inddivldual Commlssloner.
SUNMARY (1) Under the faots submitted, the CommIssloner of Preoinct 1 of Polk County 1s still a resident Poti I County and IS nov legally holding the offloe of Comsls- sloner and 1s entitled to the emoluments Incident to the off loe until his re slgnst Ion or ramoval from off ice by proper proceedings. Artlole V, Seat Ion 24 of the State Constltu3oa; Artloles 5940, 5971 aad 5972, V.A.C.S.
(2) The power to purchase road machinery aad supplies rests not vlth the individual County CossslssIoner, but vith the Commissioners’ Oourt, and only 8 quorum is necesssry to trananot suah business. Artlolem 4343 and 6741.
(3) A County Conmissioner aannot appoint another to ln his place. Road Superintendent 8 act as road supervlsor
Hon. E. L. Blnson, Jr. - Pa@ 10
or Bond C8oPllmsle~~rs DMQ be appointed only 6713, 6737, ?&8fjne6743
Comsiooiomrst Court. Articles and 6746.
Youra VOFJ truly JRzdjr