Case Information
*1 OFFlCEOFTHEAmORNEY GENERALOFTEXAS AUSI-IN
DDUroGIIUU( --
Bonorable E. H. 5ritfin
county AttorneJr
Young COtue~
~rahem, Texas
Dear Slrr
(I . . .
The pertinent parts oi your request a&pinion \ an:
"(1) Nay the Co
Texas, legally pay th
monthlr ax-ottioia
raotr, in relatl
1~ the year 194l. Countr pabaed an n Januart,'l9&!, 010 oompensation 1x1 twelve monthly ihg4 were made by to whether or not the ks the nmxlmum allowed by y hi4 offhe. Does the raot that the i3herlrr's olTio4,
during ths year 1941, earneQ and oolleoted the jn~xilnum allowed by law, prohibit the payment ot an ex-orrielo ealery during the *2 fir-:? Honorable IL H. oriran, P4g4 p
"(3) Lb44 the raot that the deputlea' sala- rhea or said offi wwre paid tram the teea earn4d end oolleoted by se14 offioe during the year 1941 end said ealerles would be paid irom the general rund or said County during the y4ar 1942 prohibit the payment an 4x-orri4i0 aelary to the eaid Eherirr the yeas >. ,' Doe4 th4 raot that the sh4rirr of Young
county, Texas, oollroted 4xo41?4 fees during th4 year 19b1, whloh h4 haa not 4t this time retunded unto the Treasurer oi eel6 Oounty prohibit the payment to the said Sheriff of 4n 4x-offiolo eela- ry during the year 19429
(I (I . . . . Article 3895, Vernon~s Annotatrd Civil Statutrcat Ir'axae reada:
ii; *The Conmlselonere~ Uourt i4 hereby d4barmd
,, rrom 4110wlng omp4n4atl0n 4x-offioio 44ni044 . . to county orrloial#i rhen the oomp4naation and ex- -: ;.,‘. ceaa tees wh%eh they ar4 ~4110w4d to attain shall
reach the meldmum pr6viaed in this oh4pt4r. 2: ;“. : In oaaea where the omnp4naation amI oxoeae tees .::. :,.. whloh the 0frioer4 am 4Uow4d reta$n,dll.not
reaoh the ~~xlmuiu provbbd for in this chapter GoEmLis4ionerki* Gourt shell 4110~ ooqmneation ex 0rrioio 4enk044 uheu, in their juQm@mt, suoh ocxnpensatlon~ls neoeaaarr, provided, fuoh compensation ror ex oftiolo serrioea allowed shell not increase the oompeneation of the offioial ba- pond the mixhm oi ooanpeneation ana exooas fee4 allow44 to be retained by him under this ohapter. Provfded,~ however, the br of'fioio herein author- izob shall be allowe& 01117 after an opportunity .
ror a public hearing and odly upon the afrirmative vote or 4t least three members of the Commissioners* aourt . (A4 amendafl Acts 1933, 43rd Leg., p. 734, oh. 220, #I 7.1" we believe the 0444 of TaPrant County, et al wi* (2) 537, an4w4ra your rlrst qusstlon.
Salth, et al, 81 s. w, *3 Honorable E. iL Grirrln, Peg4
wth, Sherlit of Tarrant Oowrtr,waa sued by the County ror the reoor4ry 0r 0x0044 r4e4 and rorthe roturn 0r #800.00 previou4lr allowed and paid hti aa ox-officio compenaatlon. The Court there eeidr
"The sherlrr w44 paid in advance in by the Commissioners* aourt $800.00 a$ 4x-ofrlol~ . . That he mad4 rtms ror sunauoning jurora.
hi4 maximum compen4atlon 0r *5,QO0.00 sxo1u41~4 0r that $800.00. In euoh event it ~44 his duty tmclor auoh above atatute to return the #800.00 to the County. He did not do 40. Thle holding doea not amount to eettlng aalde the judgment or the Gommisaioners' Court whioh order44 the $600.00 paid. w4 aaawne that judgaent to be valid. By th4 aubeequent eventa, to wit, the oolleotlon other-. wl44 and thereafter of the maxlmom pay, Mr. Smith became obligated to return that mone,J.* W4 beli4~4 it 1~44 thai?ein ezpz-4444 recognl4ed that * thy Waurdsrloners* Court could, In thb oxerolae or ita dla- oration, allow ex-offcioio oompeantlen at the begInnIng or any time par subject to a final eobouutlng~dt the end the year. Xmr rlrat queatlon 14 anawend In the afflrmati*e.
We do not believe that the colleotiod or the 4iaxi- mm during the year 1941 would rohlbit au 4x-otifolo allow- 4nc4 ror 1942. The raot that 1 t e office prodUcted surrlolent nrentlb in 19U to make the maximum oompenaatlon.for the of- rloer 14 no aaauranoe that the inooma from the offlce during; 19&2 would likewise provide the mexilpum oompmsatlon. It .tol.lowa thct your eeoond queatlon la answered in the negative.
In your third question you atate that the deputi44 were pd.4 from the rees of office during 1941 and are to be paid rrom the general rund in and a4k.U i!uch fact weuld prohibit an ox-orrfoio allowance to the Sheriff for 1942.
Article 6869, Bernon's hnnotated Glvll Statutea pro- ride4 the appointment of deputies Bnd make4 speoitle pro- vision ror the payment of their eelerlee out ot the general ruBd 0r the 00unty *. . . if In the opinion ot the Gomalesioners* Court rees or the Sherirr's orrloe are not eurrioient to jwrtl- rfp the payment of salaries of euch deputies. . .* We assume *4 Bonoreble E. B. Griffin, Page
aat the Commleslonere* Court haa so round end ordered. W4 &c not believe this would prohibit the Comairsionera* Court fi-~m making an ex-orfiolo ellowanoe to the Sherirr. Or oourae any ex-orflolo alloweuoe must be taken Into aooount et the end of the year and If such ellowenoe, together tith the rees of offioe and 4x09~4 reea allowable by law exceed the maximum provided by law, suoh offleer must return the exoesa thereor to the County.
By your fourth question we presume that the Sherlk cclleoted exoeas fees whloh,edded to the regular lees or or- floe, exoeeded the mexlmum provided by law the year 194.l; that suoh facts have been duly reported but tbet he has not paid the exoesa thereor to the County. It ouch eseumption 14 true, we think It proper to here point out that the County ha4.m adequate .remedy et law to Bue a reooverg of the 4x- 0044 teee. See Tarrant County ~6. Bolll4, 76 S. W. (2) 196, and oaaea there cited and Tarrant County ~4. Smith, supra.
We rind no Constitutional or statutory inhlbltlon egainat the Commlasionera " Gmrt providing an ex-orrlolo al; lowanos in the lnetent oeae. It 4ufSlo44 to say, however, that it 14 hardly oonoelreble that a Goasaisaldners! Court wtnee-wrn duty it to eoonomlcally adm%nister.Oounty ifnan ror the pub110 good would 44 ~44 their 414oretionerf power vt voting ex-orrlolo compensation a publico~floial who wmld ~iail or reruae to .aocount ror and delitor the Treaeury auoh 4x0644 reea aa 14 required by Article 3891, Vernon’s Annotated Gl~ll Statutes.
W4 thank you the epiend3.4 brief made a part 4f your request and your expressfon of opinion upon the quee- tlona presented with which opinior~ we have oonourred.
Your4 very truly ATTGBBBYGEBEBAL OF TEXAS