Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE A-ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
Honorable !Chmas L. Blanton, Jr.
County At.torney
ShackaHord County
Albany, Texas
Dear Sk
Vie have reaeioed
that S@.o$slrord
+llowlng’~aestians:
ssionWs* Court”aatho~!ize ay an ex-orfioio salary &o tha *5.~ f&it is the mxlmm ex-off&al0 salary the county can pay out of thk General Fund to the
sheriff and the clerk where the fees of orfioe are
not sufficient to pay the maximum allowed tm¶er
Senate Bill no. 123~
Hc?ncrable Thomas Lc Blanton, Jr., page 2 1; “6. can the comdt3slonersb Court increase
r the salary of the county Treasurer rram $2,000,00
to $2,500.00? .
*7i, Can the COzmfssionersb Court oontloue to draw $300.00 per year for traveUlng expenses .
within the .oouuty heretorare authorized by Article Section 7, or are they limited by Iiouse Bill
. . ~84 to travelling expenses lncurrbd outside of the
oomty on official county busineeslW, .-’
&!tlcle 3899, V. A.. CL S.; Sec. (a), is as rollowsw *’ *(a) - At the close of each month oi his tenure 6f office,’ each off.ioer named herein who is cornpen-
sited .on a ree basis shall make; as part of the re-
port now required by ,law, an itemized and sworn
statement of all.the aotual~and necessary expensqs
luaurred-by him in'the conduot or his office xmch
ae.statlonery, atamps, teLephone, premiums oa oi- coat-of surety-bonds
flcla16t bonds lnoludingthe
for his deputies, p~emlu21 oh.fire, burglary, theft,
robbdry insurance proteatlng pub110 fun.@, traoellng ‘expenses, and other necessary expenses; provided,
: .‘. the officer8’nametl herein, the. that in addUilm-to . . oounty freamr8k, c-ounty auditor, county-road com-
missioners, oouzity. school superintendant, and the
iiide and animal inspector ~&all likewise make a
report on the premluma,on> orrloiols* bonds, includ-
lng ljhe cost or, surety bonde tar .ang aeputles, and
s&I premiums shall be subject to payment, out of
f;ha fees of said office, as herein otherwise pro-
vided ro.~ the orricefa nam0.d; ana rovldea ruxther P.
t&at if any of the officers so aas gnated are on
a aala~y rather than a fee basis, thah all such
bond. pr&nlums for officers ena their deput.ies shall be ~$4 from the General run& or the county.
I The Comnlsiioners’Court~oi. the county of the
aherlrf*s reslaance may; upon the written aub
sworn applicntion oi’ the sherllf stating the
necess&ty the--efor, purchase equipment fox a
Bureau of Criminal fdentiflcatlon suoh as oa&~as,
fingorprlnt cards; lx&s, chemicals, mloroscopPs,
radio and laboratory equipment, filing oards,
filing cabinets, tear gas, enb other cqulpment in
keeping wlt$ the system in use by the Departamen?
Bonorablo Thmas L. Blenton, Jr., page
of Pub110 Safety of this State or the %ltea States
Deprtzxent of Jastice and/or Bureau of Crlmlnal
Iasntiricatl0n. If such expenses be incurred in c1t.h my particular case, such statemut mnneotl~
shall nane such case. Such expense account shall
be 6ubjcct tom the audit-of~thc'county-audltor, l$
any. otherwise by the Comfssloners Court; end ii
It appears thst any item.of such expense was not
lnomred by sach oiflcer or-such item uas not a
necessary expense of office, such ltea shall be by
owh auditor or coort rejcoted, Mch case the of such item my be adjudlcsted In
collections
.auy court or coxpetent jurleaictlon. The axouut of
‘salaries paid to assistants and deputies shall eleo shoun by such officer, giving the naxe,
be alesr~
position, autl amount paid each; and in no event.
shall any officer show auk meater mount #ah
actually-pald any such assistant or depUty, The
.-ant of sslarles nald to assistants, damties. of such expenses, together 14th the estzt
end clerks. shall be uald out of tha fees earnedby such officer. ibe Cmcussloners Court of the’
oounty 0r the h3rirr*s residence my, apon the
tmltten ena sworn application of the sheriff stat- necessity t&efcir, allm oa& or CLore auto-
*the
hloblles to be used by the 8hWiff in tha discharge
of his official duties, which; if purchased by the
County, shall be bought In the maruaer prescribed b,y
h3W fOP ths pUm&S6 Of ~Upp&h? a!Id pid iOr OUc of the General Fund of the county, end they shall
be and‘ remain the property'oi the"ticuntyFTbe 'ex-
pense of maintenance, aepreciatlon, ana operation as may be allowed, whether
of +~ch.auto~obiles
&urohasad .by the county or ovmed.bg the shorlff or
his deputies persoually, shall be paid for by the.
sheriff aua the amount thareof. shall be reported
by the sheriff, on the raport above mentioned, in
the sase manner as herein prOVidt3d for other QX- (Underscoring ours)
pens6s.~ .-. .S Artlole V. A. C. S., provides, ln part, a *4 l . . . it in th e o pinion o r th e caamlsslon- ora* court r98~ 0r the shearif orfloe art3 not to Justlip the peynfint of aalarlas or
aufflclent
each deputies, the Commlaslonors* Court ehall have
the powr to pay the.aame out of the General Fuud
of aald oouuty.."
fn-our opinion Ho. 0-&32,-a copy .of v&l&i we here- dth anolose,-we,-BeIda '*In aonneotlon ~5th tie r028&0hgwt3 y~llt ti
point Oat that lwvlen of '&tlols 6069,,nm.1im'a'
Aunotated Clvll Statutes, that it le our opinion
that the CQmnisslcners~ Court aanlegallypay the wlaxlea of degutg eherlfirr out of the Seneral fund .~ or the Oount,y, lr in the opinion ar tie cocmi~sion- .~t)rd court, ieeo or the sharl.fil*a 0rrl00 are not
sutrioim to justiry the pay5cmt or the~.salariee.
or such deputies. The salaxlea or Such deputlea
areto.be determined da prqolded by.Mtlo&e 3902,
Vt3xnon~s Bnno*atad .ClvS+ t;atutes.* ,. .;, .
Thereiore, in an&ax to your quastl'ons nos. 1 a&l 2, it l&.&r ogLnlon that salaries of aaelstante or daputles in
the oIark*e orfloe must be paid out o;r: th6 fees of otr+e.,aa
provldsd..by Aztiole 3899, Sea. (a), supra4 'Ths.salar1es.o~
the asalstants'or deputies b the she~iw8~0frl00 nuij be pa&d out.or th0 general rmd;lr ic the opinion or the ctm5z8810ner8~ tees of the sherlrr's office aka not sufSloient to jua- court, tlry payment 'of: the 8ak%rlS8 or au&h deputies, a5 provided ln
Arti& 7, 4. q. s. .soe al8o.oopies.0r~~.r+x oplnlona 0-5367, ooples of whloh we herewith &oloser
AoL$-&?+,~snd ;.hxtlbleJf&, i&o; (a), quoted &W..s, m@3s lt &an- datory’that the,S~pspaRet3B of-the, 0rfi00 Or the ofrlolals named thereinbe pald~out':of!i$aea or orfioe. ThorerOx, in aziaw~l: to your .thlrd queatlan, it 1s ouroplniox that the expelr,sa
of the aherlW8 ofrloe ana automobile sxpense nlust be paid
out or re08..0r 0rrm.. It n1I.I beg notea, howevts,, ,that sold. Artlole 3399, Seo. (a), provides that the Ctxmnlea~onara~ Court map, upon written ana aworn applloatlon of the MmriPf atetinS the neceseltp therefor, allow ow or more~automobllas to be-
used by the aherlti the dlsahwge of.his offlola5. autlae',
ad sold autoxobllea may be'purchased by the county tid pala
far out or the general. fund, but the sxpen80 or nalntonanaa,
’
_ . .‘. -. - -. 4Uitiable Thomas I.. .Blanton, Jr.,, page 5
depreolatlon; and operation or such automobiles must be paid 0s f0133 0r 0rfs08.
t%,pttt , in : !..I
we quote the 'rollowIng fraa our tiplnlon Eo. O-6592, aa oopy of vbloh ha6 already bsen sent to your _._ ,.-._-... ‘?’ Yihe IIE&IIIO~ ex-ofrlolo o ompens&lon which ‘imy l : . be alloored ,sald Sheriff
__~._ - ., le eng -mua wh%eh,..%hen-added .- to other oompensatlon and 6x068s fees allowed to be,
retailed by him under said Articl68 3883 and 3891,
does not caua6 suoh officer to reoalve a total dam-
pensatlon ln tzxoe68 Of Three Thousand .&van Hundred snd Fifty Dollars ($3,750.00) per year. 2-n no event
. could th6 if938 Or orrioe and ex~offlalo compegiatlon
retained by him exoeed the !naxQinxn of lkwi Thousand
'Seven Hundred .and Firty Dollars ($3,750.00). In
., other words, the marlmum amount or 6ompensatlon rrqt
any 6ouroe whloh .h6 is allaed to retain oaunot 6x1
: .oeed Ttme ThoaSana Seven ;HundreQ and W.fty Dollara
IS3.750.00) per seari" .
~.'The aam6 statutes with .rmt0n06 to ocmpensatlon 0r sherdrf are applloable to .olerjcf?;~ therefore, ansuer to your roorthand rirth questlana, it la oux opinion that the cihertii and czerk may be paid an ex-offiolo sal.arg...~fIh6~.waxlmtnn ex-
@fioZo .oompensatlon which may be -allowea4he sheriff or olark
ieianp aurn which, when addsd to other 0ompenaatlon and excess .
fees alllowed to be retained does not oauae euch OrflWr to re? eeive a~total oomp6nsatlon ~n~exoeas of Three Thousand Seven
3.. Hundred a+l Fifty DoUarEl ..f$3,750.001.
- ,. t . .~ artto was not anended by Senata Bl3.l 123,-your elxth qtmstl6n drticle 3943 sets the maximum oompaneatlon oi the
la ausvrered in the. negative. county treasurer in a ree ootmty at Q2,OOO;OO. Sine6 .mia
See 0119 opinion XO. O-6588, a
oopy of. rrhloh we have already s6nt you*
- Artlola 2350(7), V. A. C. S, (Senate Bill 319, Chap- tar 362, Acts 48th Legislature, 1943) reads_aa~ rolloms:
9-1 all countleo of this stat6 having a~ popu- letion of leas than txentg-flv6 thousand two hund-
red (25,200) according to the last &rocadlnS Federal .: Census, the Cozmlssioners Court of suoh oountles lo
Honorable manas L, Dlanton, ax., #age
hereby authorize8 to allow eaoh Com~IssIonar the
sun of not more than Tweuty-five ($25.00) Dollars
er month for. traveling expmea while on offlclal t usluess In eald counties.* (i?allpS ours)
‘In our o&Ion No. O-6002, It was held: “Said Art. 2350 (7) does mt authorize the
.4bif&s8ion8r81 Court to pass 8 geheral~~order al- ..: lowlng~ the flat to each sum of nwmty4iva Dollats oormissloner each month for travolihg exp811ses:~
Such~ mm Is already available to each ocmissioner
by *vI.r tue of the law provlded he actually Incurs
such.&nouut as oontemplatcd by statute. He oaunot
bg.oompensated Sor more than Buoh amount incurred
in auy oue month but nsy Incur less, and the sctual
amoqqt Inoarred Is the crltsrlon which the Court
must go by In Issuing Its~ order for compensation.”
’ &u*e Bill 84; Chapter 204, Aots 49th Legislature, pr~vitw.in part a8 roiiow8: *Se&Ion la. The Cmlsaionercr Coart Iheaoh oounty Is hereby authorized to PI 3y the ~aotusl travel-,
Ing expeaaes Iuourrsd ad;Ile trai%iInR outsld~e oft tha eouhty on offIola1 oovnI$ business nevox~ to exoeed
&ree.llundrod Dollarc In any ok year ior saqh ($300)
said offIolal.n (Eqhasls ours)
House.DIll 84, supre, ‘doe’s not repeal or amend but It Is ~merelg’ ounuiotivs .a?. .ArtIcle 2350(7),, V. A. C; S., said article. In answer to your seventh quastlon, Therefore, Its Is the oplnlon oi this departmnt that’enoh cozmIssIoner Is entitled to Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) ,travelIng expense , in the county fox. saoh Iconth, provided, -of oo~se, that suoh
traveling expense is necessary and actually expended by such
oomlsgloaer during said month while he Is on official busl-
ness In the oounty. Moreover, the oomnlssIoners axe entitled
to travelktg expense Incurred while traveling outside the
county on oounty busInness never to exoeed Three Hundred Dol-
lars ($300.00) In any one year as providad by ‘Ii. B. 84, supra.
62 Zlonorable Thomas L, Blanton, Jr,, page we have aatisfaotorilg answered your We trust that
I in&rpT
Your8 very truly i