Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
OROVLR SCLLCRS
ATroIWrv OR(IIAL
quotr
rides ln courtlrr hmtlng a taxable talu&tion 950 000 00 and -'27 960 OCO 00 for the year 1438,
b;tkr?$27 thr oounty ~oa&sl&~rre cdrt’ln &wh*oountlra shall hare the power to sat and stablirh annually maximum amount jutatloo or poacr oonrtabhr forrr ior but in no 8vant rhall It arorsd $3600.00 per annam and dth the firthe? liini- tatbn that no ire8 c&all l xoa ad $500.00 for any on8 quart~rr. This statcte ~33 ;osr2d t2 a.~plg to Fort 3bcJ Comty since
937 Honorabla Sidney J. Brown - iOF.
our valuation ram bat*aen tha above flgurar iOr the year
"The justloa of paaoe end oonrtablas oi Fort Band County are on a faa baa18 and artlola 3902 H. C. S. ro- Tl4.8 ior appointment of daputls8 0s oounty and pro0 P ofrloara on far ba818. If thr ooauai8rIoner8 oourt would approve of 8 deputy cmmtabla being appointad after proper rp::lioatlon 18 tiled, what maiimua ralmy oould oourt allot ttm ooxutablr to ~87 hi8 drputy out oi th8 8xo.88 ?.08 Of him 0rriod Would th8 limltatlon Of thr deputy ooartrblr mrbry ba on a aonthlf, qurrtarly yarrlf barlr?
"Could thr oowtrrblr W lort Band County taka into om- sldaratlon thr rpansar of hi8 orfloa, such a8 oar expansea, In drteraInI~ thr mount or h.8 or hi8 orrio abet lm can ratalnt Am 8n x.a la If ronrtrbl. to $12OO,OO to.8 Uount for ona qurrtar oou pa ha ill8 nonthlr rrportr rhal.a& hlr eutoaobll8 axpanra and rakin the 0x0088 to 00v.r hlr traral- II@ 8rpmra8, lr tha l xp8na a8 van @aatar than the exoa80 rear?
"In rrrannor to my raoond. inquiry, tha 1945 taxebla ralua- tlm or Fort Bent Coaty Is $32,.O23,310.00. Under artlcla 3912 (a) rootion 13~U.ir 8.l.ty of tha OOUZlty traa8Ur.r 00~1:: ba lnoraaaad 1% tor each miL;llon dollar8 in rslnation in xoaae of $15,000,000.00 8nd thr 1945 rnundnunts 8llOwad m lncraarr Of 25s on tha 8alar)r. additional
"In retirenor to my last inqalry, I will rtata that tha oounty &&a and arvrral other oountg o?fIolals ware being paid a ralary of $4200.00 durlry t&a year 1944 and 1945, and thee. otflorre ware be1 Id thla salary un- ssotlcn 13 alloT.,.F?r dsr the provlslr~n of nrtlcle 3$12 "ir e for e 1,. lncraose for tech tillio.? dcllar taxekjls velua- tlon in exce:.s of ~l~,CGC,COO.GG. : 0~16 the 1945 emsnd- 25nt s,>lar:q lcw allovA.lp 8 255, Increeea erply tc ths-s county o!'fIoIels ma!clng 8 salary In excas6 of 3bCC.W ,:&t *:iotild bs t?i3 !c%xIau~ s'?lery tkt cc 1G yczr ror 194LC bs paId theas of~'icIsls the yser 19467” for
to your quertlens concerni-& the saxinux
"Ith mferanoe oomprnaatlon of tha Col;nty ‘Trraeursr snd other oountg offioare tha pOpul:tIon Of ?Ort Band CWLlty, 701% Send County, we nota that is shown by the 194;; Fsdsral Csneus Is 32,963, The .mxlmum amount or the en, ual salsrlaa ?ilzlch the Co%nleeloners’ Court aey fix for said orfloors Ie govornsd by the provIsI:,ns of Section 13 of ..rtIcla 351.-e, ‘iermnts .~n!:otatac! 'Civil tiitutes. El3 sbovs le.-
. tionrd arrtlon oaatalna unaral ~rovlalona aa to tha aaarImum aal- alar, qplioabAe to all ocuntlaa ha+- a population of 20,000 and not IDON than 190,000 lnhabitantr, inhabitanta, ao-
to tha laat prroraIn# Fadaral cwlaua, aa roll aa lloabla undrr oorkia OIraumatIno~a, whrra r Fe art may allow oartaln l ro8ntagaa of Inoroeaa to be ad&ad to tha amunt of the P aalar aa rllowrd rsdrr @ha to tin l nlarIoa witi nraronoa Aa l hariry a popolatlon botwaan 0i 00tuy 0rf 20,000 and 190,000 Itibitanta l arordln6 to tha tat praoadla F’rdWil COMPI, Wa find 8ha fOil00it~6 iai~@~&a in 888tian 1) Oi Artlola )91Qa, Vornon~a Annotattrd Civil Statutaa:
wlba ComIaaionara~ Car* in roontlaa hrvlng a popa- latlon tuaaty or aora thouaaod (10,000) iahabltanta and lraq than ma hundnd and nina8y tlsoPund (190 OOOf lrat road*. Tadarai Cwiuua, lnhabltanta cooordiag .I8 hr r r by l utharl8ad and l* dull c ftr dutr to Ik tha aalarlai or U. folLew1~ oasr4 0m00r8, to-witr ahayIfY, aaaaaor and oollaotor of tama, oountf judea, county attornay, lncludl~ orImina1 dletrlot attarnaya and souaty l ttornaya rhn prrimm the dUti88 Of dl8trIOt attorneys, Clatrlot olrrk, oounty clerk, treaaurur, h.Idr and adtam i~yrotor. Eaoh of wld ottlcara ahrll br paid In money ,an annual aalar In tvalrr (12) aqua1 Inatall- men* of not laaa than tha total lplp earnad aa nM- t4.m by him In hi8 orrioial oapaalty ‘s raar for %hhr ii808 not more than th naarImum ammnt alloyed rrah 1935, on August 24, 1935.” oiflo*i under lnwr oxirtlog
as to the ~?ER~ELIZI emu&t of Co~paMatlon euthorlzad un- .der laws cxiet.ing Jwy,u:t 21, 1535, for t&a ebove mine:! oificsrs, we call your ektentirn to the lollor.~ng statutory provisions;
.4rtlcle 39L3. V. .+. C. S.1 n The co.~lssio~a allmrd to any County ‘Treasurer rball not rxcssd Two Thousand Dollar (12,OOO.OO) aanual- 1jI . . . .”
Artlclr 3851, v, ai. c. s t
‘R”;aoh ofrlcar naxrd -la Chaptrr ahall flret out fear pay ba paid of the current ot bin oiiior the amunt allowed him under the prctlslum of Article 3883, togrther wlth the salaries of his aaslstanto and drputlsa, and au- *4 S?.dnay Jr Brown - Pa61 4 Bonorablr
thorlrra amount nroraaary exprnaaa under etiolr 3899, 8rd thr to aovmr ooata o? pnmlua on whatatrr mrrtv bond mar br ra-
ulrra by &w. If tha ourmnt ?a08 o? auah orri0r oolhat0a n any par ba aora than the amount naadad to pay tha amounts e l bora apaalfIaa aam abrll ba drama4 l xoaaa iaaa, and. ahall ba dlapoaaa or in tha aannu bralnaitrr protIdad.n tmant twant7Wiva
“In ooun8Ira oontalni~ thouaand and ona (25,001) not more then thirty-aman thocuand, ?Irr hundna (37,500) lnhabltanta, dirtriot md oountr offi- au8 maa4 harrln @hall ratein oar-third 8U8h 810888 faaa until auab ona-third, Bogatibrr with tha 8aouat a aoifla~ In Artlloa 3663, rmunta ‘&lrtp?lrr Pun&W Do1 era P ($3500.00).* l utho rirlng outeln Wtb awfaranoa to aroanta 88 o? inonuaa So yolod amunta al- P 8 owad M u grrvxsl provlaloru, tht parU8ent p r8vldona l ra:
e8 huvl!a6 a Dopo&$Ion and 1888 Ui@a )IrIrQ- lababitaota (37.5001 l ooordIal to laat tha an raarai~d valuation prroralng Fudsral tinsus, antieh&Ing In rxcrsaso? Ylftrrn pillion ($15,000,000.00) Dollera, ao- approrrd pnorclng tax roll&& auoh oounty cording b the last tha mximum mount allowrd auoh offloan l alarIra mar be ona (I$) par cant for eech Ona YIlUon ($l,OOO,OOO.OO) Inonaaad Dollar8 raluatlon or I’raotIonaI prt thrraof, In ax0888 Of raid 7Iftorn MIllIon ((15,000,000.000) Dollara nlratlon 0Ior and nbot8 tlm aerimum amount llawrd uoh offlorra under law8 xIatln6 on BUguat 2kr 19354. . . . l Article :;action 13. Sub-dirlsion(8)(S. B. 123,
(2) Acts 19th ‘LN?. , 1,Ll) “The &~\mni~aLcnera co& ii hsrrby authorlzad. wher in thrir ju?pgant the financial condition-o? the cowiy and ths tc enter an order nasds of th justify tha lncraear, crfimni lncreasln~, the cospe~saticn of ti.8 Frsclnct, county and Uls- tv:sntp- trict or’flctrr in sn e diticnal azcunt not to exceed rivr (25%) per cant or the aurn allowed under the la& tor the year of 19~4, prcvldsd fiscal the total compensation author- ized under law for the fiscal year o? 1544 did not axcrrd riddad Acts the sum o? ‘dhirty-21x Hundred ($3600.00) i’ollaro.
19i.5, 49th Leg., p. 2U, ah. 179, I 3.” *5 sldnry J. 3r ow - Pagr 5
Eonornblr the forreolng 9r~vinkta Wa not8 of Sub-dlrinlon (8) that (S. B. 12,) wan not rffaotltr until May 9 1945. We not. further that thin dnpartmnnt held in Opinion No. 6-6575 that the forn- going proolnlonn of 9. 9. 123 a?8 not l pplloabln rhea thr amount of aompannatlon rothorl:ad by law for a partloulu offloor for thr rl~oal year of 1% nlr mora than ~~600.00. b order drtnrmlnr whrth8r thn 9rorl8lon8 of 8. B. 12) are l pplioablr to thr rnrlow o??lOOr8 or Fort Band Comty, It 18 nannnary to drtnrmlnr tho amount o r 00 l Aa8tloA rhirh tha 18~ ruthorlzr~ rm raid orrlorr8 for the flnoa paa of 1944. Dnbor the &+?a1 ~rorlnioo 8 of S8otloA 1) of Artlo 39128, the offloorr Aarrd ooul4 hava brra d.lOwed th8 raxlaum Ooplp~88tiOil rhloh rush offloorr l ould hare ratafnnd undnr lawn rxlrting Augunt 24, 1955. Dhdrr law8 rxlnt- lng Augubt 2&, 1935 the County Twanurrr oould ha+8 baa l llowrd a mnxlmuia oomgnnnedon of $2 000.00 annually (Art. 3943), rhilr the mulmu annual compannntfon o? thr other o??lrorr nun04 In thn law wan $3500.00. UAdU tha ii?8% 8DaOid 0101 81&q l bOl0 quoted, the foregoing nmountn oould hrriom par- omt par milllm dollar or imotion thrno?, of oountr tu valuation in l xon8n of $i5 OOO;oOO.OO, an #horn bf oh8 hat approved prordlllg tu roli. An to the fir081 year of 1944, the oounty tar valuation of Fort BoAa CouAtf an nhorn by thn last approved prrordlng tax mll (194)), aooordl to leiormatlon rurnlnhrd by the Shk Comptrollrr’n Offlor, wan
Thun, uiulnr ald npaolrl Drovlnion, the maximrun OmpaAB orlrnd undrr thn annral D rovlnlon S8atlon 13, Art1010 39128 orflo~r Maoa) 02.000.00 - ootuh& trr88urrri $3 ,500.oo - othar oould hato booa lnororrod 88rontrea pnroont for tho flnoal year 1944. Sinao the protlaloA8 of 6. 8. 12) (Sub- dlrlrlon (8) uprn) nor0 in 1944, thn total m~xlmkm otmpsnrat 1 OA in rr00t whloh thr Coumlnnlon8rn* Court omld harr ruthorlrrd flnoal for pear of ran O2,340.00 ($2,000.00 91~8 17%) for thr County plus 17%) ior the other ofilcars and $4,095.00 (Tj,500.00 Treasurer, of Lrtlolt 39120. namd ln Section
.b hnr -tofore ntatod, the provlnlonn of Sub-dlvlnlon (01 (5.3. 123) are ayplloablr only to those officers .Artlcle whose aOmpenn8tiM authdlzed by law ior the ?laoal year Of did not exceed $3,600.00. Thun, in port 3end County, S. 3. 123 only to the nalary of the County Trnasurer. be ayplloable would You are therefore advised thst under the provisions o? S:. 3. 123 (Sub-division a, Zec. 13, Art. 3912r), when ln the Judgment o? the Comnl~nlonrrs* Court, “the financial condltlm oi the county” and the needs o? the oifloar justify lncrOaae, the Co.mlssionery’ *6 Hcmorrblo Sldaol J. Brown - Pagn
COW% 18 rl%thDriZOd t0 OIltO? l A Order iKIOrOrOily th8 OOlB~ABBtJiOA “IhO% t0 IOOOd 8~On8J-fitO 9rrOOAt Oi hh0 Of tbr cOUAtT e088~1~ 8u allowed udor tho law for tho flao41 par 0r 1944.a Tharorom, WdBr th0 9rw1*10a* or s. B. Tr*r*ur0r any br tho CouatJ allmod a total ~axfaun ooon~rmtion of #2,925.00 ($2,340.00 Q108 255) for &a fiBOA1 708? of
8lnoo thn prorialoaa o? 8, II. 123 do not apply to tha OfflOOt OthB? 8h8A th0 OOUA~ wO8OUIWr rOtO?Trd t0 iXl kOtioXl of Art1018 39121, the mnrl.mm oompenn8loa of 8u.h oiflnara tOr tibr tiBOa1 w ot WOUM by aatonrind MUSE 8h~ rp001a prorlalon no d aaotlon rhloh authorlxra r aa lnanrrr at am tnotlon tharroi, poroont par ml~llon dollara af ooorrby tax valuation in 0x0180 of bOO,OOO,OO rroordiq thn laat prnoodlng rpgpwod *ax roli (1945). iooord* to you latter,
I nlmtloa of %rt Band .ooUaty ,-a #32~,023,3~0,00. rximn8 aompazuaUoa 88thorlwd roda? tia of krtion 13, Art1010 39l20 ul be irronrrad or &ha tiaoal par o? 1946. T~I ma, Wnmfore, muham rompeaaatloa whloh mar be al&m& ier- aald ofrloarr (UO8D*h.l6 f OOtUltF ‘IhO#tl?W) ia th8 flirti l88r Of 1946 Wuld k $4,130.00 #3,500.00 DlW lti)).
A0 b yOw qUO8tlOA OOACOrAiw t& MX~MULE 8818ry HO? 8 drputy Oonrtabl8, wo call your rttontloa to tha ~ntatu- ronoh tory pror1010a0:
hla trEura Of orfloa, 8aoh offic8r Mud harnln Who 18 OC4lQ~liOPtOd 011 a fO8 baai 8h8n anke, an prt of tho nport now raquirrd by law, an it4miZOd aAd BWOrA BtJJt%Q8nt Of all bh8 aOtUB]. 8Ad MOwBary by him ln the oondunt O? his C??iC8.* 8Xpensas incurred
)I . . .Th8 amount of 8~larl88 pald to ae:latantsaml shall alno be olrarly ahoWn by BuOh oicicer, glv- deputlea 11-4 the name, pOB:,tlOn, and amount paid each; and ln no avant shall any off1 cr ehoa any gr.zater xm.r.t than ao- The axunt tually paid any euch assistact or deptity. teether with the amount of solarles paid
8UOh OXpen8.8, to asslatants, deyutirn, Bad olerkn, ahan be pold OUt of th8 it308 earnod by uoh o?fl:er.'
Artiolr 3902. V. -':. 0. S.i any dlntrlct, courity or praclnot orricar n;h8never 8han rsqclr8 thn snrvlc811 or dnputlae, asnlstsntr, or clarka *7 .
HonoroMo SldnIy J. Srw - p868'l
in tha pufont~nor or hlr dutirr b rh8l.l apply to th8 Couatr Coanlorionar~~ Court of hi8 oounty for ruthorlty t0 l pjdilt ruoh 48ptltl88, Or elOrk8, 8tatlw 88eifitcld8 br aworn 8DdiCOtiOll th nuder nwdrd, porltlon to br l’ilhd M& th@ mount t0 b paid. SOid rDpli6atiOn #iI k l 8OOitDar.i8d the p?OLdlrr br 8 8t8kmat rhOWia 8arpoanSlon to b. rierlptr iroa f888, OOMid8#1001 a~~itkg th@ fha p8sr’MC 7&O 00uIOtd by raid OtiiOO prOb8hlr dlrbUrrrmlkt8 rhloh #kbll iE@ldO ll wu?i$# and aXpaABa8 Or 8ai6 OrriOrl 8nd Uid 00~s 8bu mk0 it8 O?dW authorltln( tbr 8$ pOintaUI6 Of l ~h.'&pUst88, l 88i8tanN3 ud Oh?k8 Bad riS th8 OOE$WU~OD b k. p8i(l e8erihd ma amr- tha llmitatS.oar hrnln thu d$hln hrrrinarter rrt oat. . ( to tlu drputirs, irrlrtantr or 018rk8 boro aamrd fa tholr 8hd.1 b0 8 roa8on@ibl8 OM, ROt t0 8IU8.6 t~~fOllOY,- 88W1088 in& tmount8I. . " at. In 6Wd.8 8 hsVl~& 8 wpIi8tiOn id 6lOat7-fbO
thOu8lmd ad On0 (25,001) @Iid tA@t IcQr@ thUi thktl-80-n rirrt rrlr- thoarmd, rlrr hundrrd (J7.500) inhabltantr, tat or ohm ?wo TaounnQ Dollar8 baptlty not to rroed ($2,000) par UUlU%) Other 88818t8nt8, da t1.r Or olrrkr .?4VOlltO8n Bmbrrd DO118r8 p(lt17001 par ~IWIJ nd t0 UO.rd 88Oh..
“9. Th8 ccml83lrnar8 Court i8 hereby 8utkorizod, wkan in thir jufg-?ent 0 or tlm the financial condltl cOl;nty and the nacda Of the dclFUti.08, or any fii8triot, t8Si8t8lltS Sari OlsriSS county or prroinot orfloor ju3tiry to rntsr an order fnoreae8, lncraaelng thr cozptneetim clsrk in en additional aaouzt assistant such ds:.uty, txcotd (25%) par cent 0r thr 8UP tllowrd tw8ntpti70 un- daEtha 18W ior th8 fieCa1 r:ar Or 19L4, &eorlded th8 total und6r the law rw the ri8CSi year
cosptnsation authcirized of 1944 did not trca,zd Thirty-six ‘%.mlred ($)itoC.OO)
DOll8r8."
-i8 not.0 thst 38CtiZ3 9, quoted above, (S. 3. 123p *8 Honorable Sidn8y J. Brown - Peg8 8
Ut8 not 8ff8OtiVt Ulitil EtJ' 9, 1945. Under th8 fOr8gOing pro- 9 the i7U3XiMUJt MIOUDt vi8iOa8 Or SeOtiOn Or 8MUai OOIILpWI88tiOn 8uthorlzod ror d.pUti88 under th8 law ror the ii8081 yerr 1944 2, Art, 3902) m8y b8 iaOr8888d by tW8nty-flV8 p8r 08Ilt. (980. In Vi8U Oi th8 rborr UOt8d prOti8iOn8, you 8I8 8dVir.d that P on rhloh nay b8 authorlard ror a fir8t the m8xlmUa oomjmarat ror the rho81 ooarkblr in year or d8pUtY rort Bead county, 1946, 18 #2,500.00 ($2 000.00 p1U8 2%) Ub ior othrr dODUty We i&Uth8r 8811 $2,i25.O0 f$i,700.00 piU8 25%). OOn8tabh8, t0 YOUr 8ttUltiOZA th8t the Comai88lOIl8r8' COUTt WthOriS8d t0 @atOr aa OrdO? inOrO88ing thr OtXIQaa8atiOa Or 8au OrriOer8 par ornt Ot th8 81111 tuthoriud Ud8l' to rroord tW8ntprlVo ii8081 ye8r or 88 OO~Q~lI8OtiOLI ror 8Uoh th8 18W for *v&on ia their th8 fiMIiOiti OOnditim Or thr 68pUtr judgment OOUUty tad th8 nO8d8 Of th0 tbpUtiO8. . . jU8tifr th0 i~~0~0880~” YOU W8 t&her 8dV18.d th8t t&l8 8818rle8 r~f~rl'.d t0 in AZ- tiol. an on l "Dar 8MUm" b88f8.
A8 YOUr quertloa ooaoeralng the travellag l w08im60r th8 8Oartabl., ua nfrr you to our Opinion NO. 04666, whioh u8 b@lLrr will ratiriaotorllp ansr rour queotlon. wr 8m nO108i45 8 OOpy Or 88ld OpiniOa rOr yOUr OoavMiOnu.
It 18 to be Und8r8tOOd th8t U8 8rO mot &-in p888ing upon the oon8tltutionallty or th8t portloa or Subdlririoa of Artiolo 3883, V. A. C. S., rerrrrsd to in your lrttrr th8 prori8ion goreraing~the oomp8n8atlon the oonrtables 0r Tort Bend County, iOr that qU88tiOLl i8 aOt U8. b&OX'@
Wr trlA8t th8t th8 rbor8 Md iOngOing Will 88ti8f8OtOrlly aa8u.r your laqulrlrr. truly,
Your8 very ATTOFESY GAL3d, OF 'DXAS JL:?wb:W
aoloeure - 1