Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Hon. Wayne Lefome
county Auditor Clq county
Henrtetta. Tua8
Dear Sir:
to make
a detail& audit or ell res oftioee 0r Clay County. Thie audit ehonw.that eaoh offioer of Olay County had failed to eubmlt sworn monthly axpnaa aooounte with the ex- oeptlon of tha Tax Aeseeeor Colleotor rho ha& submitted the reports ae required bT Ar- tiale 5899 a8 amended, Fi.C.8. Immediately tOllowIng this audit the ex offioiale 0i the reapeotl+s offloee aeked the eo5mleeionere~ oourtto allowtheunto eubsitewommonthl~ expeae~ aaoounte for the year8 1937 an13 1998, The eommlaslonoru~ aourt Clay County ea- tered aa order in it8 mlautee whloh is ae follow8r To quote-
*Wo hereby allow t& offlosre to eubmlt ewora moathly etatemente r0r tbr year8 1939 enll 1938 protidad we are aot- la& l&hin our legal author;ltiy to do 8th mthor1t.J whloh we refer to The b shall l base4 upon a suliasg of the At- I?
torney Gmeral, ae to our authority r0r aoceptt.ly report8 eubmltte4 ln the yeaT 1939 aovering the montblv reports rhioh ehould hare been eubmltted in the par8 ot 19s'p end 1938.'
"In other word8 we want to only allow the expeaeee whloh are just end OOrreOt ao- ootiing to the etatutee of Texae.
Vhe o~~~&eelonere~ oourt or Clay ootm- ty aOOept&%hC&mya3 of the XX AWOw coalaty apesrmkai~ar nith the same nee~tioa~~Irj'~~tb~~gard to emathlp regorte with th$e eXOept$Qll, that the Uolmtt Fud$e'e emital report iwi rgb$eot to em auW, Aa tar a8 we are able to find the rinutor ef aommleelonere~ OOUI% iOr the your L.989 and 1998 do not oarry a zyoord st'any anauel report8 being approved by the oomlmionere~ court.=
Ron. Wayne Lerevm, page S
As we OonetNe your question, you desire to knw whether or not the oomleaionere~ oourt oan legally allow axpeneee iaourred under Artiole 3899, Vernon's Clril Statutes, end rrlated tee statutes, whsn the4 county 0rriaftu fail to file their mnth- ly reports for the years 1957 and 199B as required by Art1018 3899, eupra, end who now want to file such reports and olalm euoh exprneee.
Artiolee 6896, 8897, 3898, and Sootion (a) of Artialb 5899, Vernon's Ciril Stetutee, reed as r0u0w8 :
aArtlole 3896. To keee (Looounte Xaoh dietriot, oounty and preoinot of- tfOsr shall keep a oorreot statement of all fees oarned by him end all eume Oomlq .into his hands as depoeite ior 00868, tog&her with all truet funds plaord in the r6 istry 0s tb 00wt. r-8 or 0rri00 ~rd 00 !Qez eeione la a book, or in booka to ba prorided him for that purpoeo, In uhiah the off leaf, at the time when euoh &posits are aude or euoh fees end oaamieeione am earned and when any all of auoh fund+ ehall 6cmu .%uto bin, .han&S, ehell enter t&e eemo; en4 it Shell be the duty of the oomty auditm in ootm- ties haviw a oountp auditor to ennuallf xamlne the books aml iowmnts of euah of- fioere and to report his findin& to 6ho ne~~ooeeding graad jury or dfetriot
In aotitiee havine no aouaty audi-
tar, 'gt shell be the duty of the Ocpesai86iOIL- era' aourt to make the ezeminati0n of said books and accounts have the eemta made and to- meke report to the grand .Jury ee herelnebor, provided.
*Artilale 3891. Grrorn statement &aoh dletr~ot,~Oounty and pI?eOirlOt Of- fiaer, at the dloee of eaOh ffeOa3. year *4 (Deoembsr Slat) ahall makm to the dietrlot oourt of the oounty In whloh h6 reeldee 8 eworn etatoment la trlplloate (on forme de- 816Md and approred by the State Auditor) a oopy of whlah statement shall be forward- ed to the State Auditor by the olerk of the 6IetrIat ooart of said oounty wlthla thirty (SO) days after the saw has been flied in his orriaa, ena oae oopy to ba silt36 rith the oounty audItor,.ir ally) otbmrwIw said oopy shell be filed with the OommIealenere~ oourt. Said report shell show the emount of all fees, aonmIeeIone end eampeneatlone whatever earned by @aId orfloor durlq tha fl8Oal yeari and esoondly; rrhall show the emaunt of fess, conmissIons end bcrapenea- tlone oolleoted hla during the ftioal year; thirdly, said report shall om*lLn en ItemIwd statement of all fete,,doWe- alone and ooqemeatlone earnod durl&~the fleoal year whIoh were not ooltiokd; .M- g&her with the n6sia 0s the partt~owi* said fees,.oommleeIone oaapmnea~ione.
Sal6 ~report ahell be filed llot later than February lint?; ol.$owlng .the @lore of the fleoal eai: I. ‘,. ‘for. eaoh day after said date 1 Aa thab ea 6 report reaalue not fllod, said
ofrI8vr r&ills1e liable 80 a penelty of Twenty FIv6 ~#arS.,OO) DollaPe, tilah may be reoovered by then oounty in a suit brought for ewh purpotme, and ln addltlon said or- rioer shall eubjeot to remowbl from 0rri0s.
“ArtiOla 3898. Fleoal m
Tha fieaal pear tithln t& meaning or this Aat, ehall be& an Jaxmery let of eaoh year4 and aaah dietrIatt, oounty a pmolnot oiilasr she.%1 Silo hle reperk end maka the tinal eettlemant required in this Aot not later than Pebrunry let eaoh yea28 pro- fided, however, that cgrioore reoaitinig ,ti *5 Eon. Wayne br~Yr0, page 6
annual ealery aa aamponeatlon for their eorviaoe ahall, by the olnee or osoh monthr pay Into the OrflOor8* Salary Fund funds, all fees, oommIeelone and oomgoneatlon oollsoted by him duxlag eald math. when- etor euoh affloer aortae for a fraotlorul W8 Of ah0 fiSO@i YMZ, h0 8Wi MV8rth0- loan rib hle report and m&o fiati eettlm- want for euoh part of tho year M ho servos shell ontitled to 6uoh propotilonato part 0s his oomponeatlon ae tho time rm, his eorvloo boars to the entire year.
“AktlOlO se99. &~oneo aaoount
(a) At the aloea of rash mouth of hle tsaux0 0s 0rrh oaeh ofrloer aem6 heroin rho Is ooatineatad on a fee basis shall meke as part of the xoport nw raqulned by law, mIte&aod and mworn etat~ontofall aotuel end noooeeary oxponeo~ Inourrod him ln the oonduot of his offiao, woR ae etati4inory, stews telo hone. promIwe on offIofti8* bonde, inolud L th0 0086 or surety bonds for his mputlee, pramlum on fin, burglary, theft, robbery lneurenoo protooting pub110 funde, travel&g ixs= sad other naooeeaxy expensoe~
eionor8~ oourt of tha oountp.oS the ahoxifr*e reeldonoe may upon the wxltten and em*0 applloation es tbe Bbsrtrr stating fihe no- purohaeo equipment ior a ~eeeity therefor, bruaau of ociminal idontlf:oat~Qn euoh M oamorao, finger print 04rde. Inke, ohomIoaL8, mioroeoopee, radio and laboratory oqulpmont, ill* bard& filing oabinrte, gae aad tear oth er l qulpmont In keepIn wtth the 89’8t08I In use by the ~Depaxtmont of Pualio Gafot~ of this State or the United States Depa It- ment of.Juetloo and/~ Bureau QrImlwl Identifloatlon~ Y euoh scrponeee be Inourrod ‘in aonmeatlon with eny partloular oaeoo euoh etatomantehalln~ euoh oaeo. &uahorgoaeo
Iion. wa.y-no Lorowe, page 6
aooount ehall bo oubjeot to the audit of the Oounty Auditor, IS any, othorwleo by the CowIeelonere* Courtt oad ii it appears that any ltom of euoh oxponra was not la- ourrod by euoh offloor or euoh Item wae not a noooeeery oxperma or 0rri80, euoh Itu shall by ouoh auditor or oourt rojootod, in whloh oaee the aollootlone of euoh ftomuy bo edjudlaated in any aourt of oanpotont jurlediotion. The 80ount 0s eahrlee paid to Aeeletante end Deputies shall also bo oloarly shown by euoh offloor, giving the name, position and amount paid l ixohg .and Ln no event ehall any ofrIoor show any groator amount than aotually pa%& any euoh AeeIetent The emcunt 0s euah exponeee ~~g%ECyiith the emount or ealarIoe paid to Aseletente, Doputlee Olorke shall bo paid out or the fee8 earned by uoh Offl@@r~ The oo5mIeelonore~ oourt 0s the aonuty of the 8horlff'e roeidknoe may, upon the rrittoa and euorn applleatlon of.tho aherIff.eta~ Ing the nooeeelty therefor, allow qe ‘more automobIloe to be us&d by the 6horif$ in the dleohar@ of his offlolal dntl~e, rhieh. If purah&eod the Oo\oty, ebell be bou&ht In manner pmeorlbed by law for the pnro~aeo euppllae .and paid fbr out 6f the Gemral Fund of the oounty end thoy ehall bo and ro- main in the property 0s the oouaty. The oxp@neo of malntonanoo, doproolatlon and opew at&on of euoh aut0mobllee as may be allwod, whether purohaeod by tho oounty or waod by the sheriff or’hS.8 Deputies QereonaLly, shall p,aId for by the sh0rirr and tho omowlt thereof shell bo reported by the Sheriff, on the report above mentloxwd, in the Sam0 manner as herein provldod for other orprwee.” It 1s l rldont that the Logtelatwo Intended enoh monthly roporte~bo form a art or th6 fleoal an- nual reports M required by Art P 010 5891, eupra* *7 This 8tatute alone dose not oover the subjsot Or Ox- penees as set forth in Art1010 9899. In order for settlemat to be aad0 a8 requirea br utioi0 rim 5898, it is a neoeseary prerequisite ior both, the aonthly report and the annual etatement to be made by the 0rri0Or8.
Artiole 1OZ 0r the Penal code read8 a8 rob lOW8 I
*Any 00uaty 0rrioer or any diatriat.at- tiorney to ahcm is08 or costs are allowa by law who rhall fail to ohuge up t&s is.8 or oosts that mar be due under existing law8, or who ahall remit any fee that may due un&er the laws, or who rhall fail to nmke report wqulred law, or who Ohall pay hi.8 6eputy. olerk or asels~aut a 3.088 8mn thsn~8peolflOd in hi8 8wol-a etatemont, rsoelre baok aa a rebati any part of the oompon8ation alloueb 8uOh demty, olo?k or 'ahall k rind not 106~ thui w8i8ttant, *mpriv0 nor more thw iit0 hundred 4&i lar8. Saool mot rorbiddon br thl8 artlou. i8 8 80pw8te 0rrw80.*
3lt'uUlbe noted that under Beation (aj d Artiole 5899, :mipa, applloable to ree orriwrs or the oounty, requires eaoh orrio n0md in th0 maxi- mum r00 law (now Artioler S8834891, Vernoa*u Oivil Ststutea, as emended) to make a monthly itwiaed end sworn rtatement~or all the aotual amI neoessary ax- ~4$86~ hOU?rCrd by Owh orrioor,in,th6 oonduot hi8
.
Apgarently, it was tht ,intention-or thO ISa- islature in prOYiUI& thi8 aOUOWM.Ilg pmOOdW0, to errorb proteotion b oountiei and make it easier ror their ff.nanaie.l agents to ohQOk up aad iallOw th0 0~ pend$ture8 0r,rbd8 OR behalr ai the oounbimr ror no- oe~eary ~pplles‘ other items laantioned~ tn Alctiol* 8899, aupra, when suoh expenditure8 are m&I W it8 fdoA8kfll r.:Besar County @&.A.~, 1995) 880 oirioere.. 8.W. 891, writ Ul8lnlseed.; *8 Hon. wayw urerre, page 8
In State v. ~arM8 (O.C.A., 1937) 108 S.W. (2d) 397, the oourt speaking or a statute requiring the eherirt to 8ubmiC itemized ana verlrled ooouuta whioh ha had not don8 in the manner provided by statutes saldr
Wh8 rrtatulm were eubstantlally oom- ~1106 with. The nqulremont relating to the r0xm In whloh sherlrree OXpenditWJS ror thlr purpo~ are to be premnted to the Cm- mlseloners~ Court were not lntwded as llml- taflonr on the power of that body."
In the reoent ofxm Or Pimron t. &dVeStOn County, 131 S.W. (ad) 27, deolded by the Austin Court or Oivll Appe@l.~, the lseurr or oertaln lump mn items Olalmd by Pleroon as reimburse!aents for postage, traveling eIcQenSeB anb mesaengsr srnioe wae berore the oourt. The raota di8OiOSed three lump aum item oontalned in Pierson annual report ror 1933 and 1936, and furthm, that Piers0 made ao numthly 8tatementr as required by Aroiole IJBQQ, aupra. we qu0k rmm the oplnlon rendered by the oourt in this oaw a8 r0ii0w I
"Thie statute was oomplied with at the beglnnlng or 1933 and the &puts authorlecrd and her salary fixed at $dO per month. To grant or approve a'salary raiem 'to operate retrompeotirely would, ww hold, be a clear rlolatlon our state oonstltu4~oa~, Art. S, 8 33, v8lllOll'S Annotated Statute8,~smpirr @a8 a Fuel 00. v'. State, 181 'hzr.YLi.S, 47 3.
W. (2d) 28s Turner V. BarwS, Tex. OlVl APp., 19 S.W. (2d I 826, arrlnnsd On other p0wd8i Tax. Qom. App., S.W. (26) dS2. The rule laid down 2n Cameron County v. Fox, Te+ OOra4 App., 61 8.W. (ed) 43s. Is not appliaabl@ hero. There tax oolleotor, tithout pre- rloua authority, employed Sod paid l il.aXieU to deputies the item beiag reported fn hi8 aooount, whioh wee audited and approved by the oonuaimionere* kourt. St wa6 held that *9 Hon. Wayue Lsfene, page 9
it was not esssntlal to obtain approvai in advanw employment or depltiesy thit the 0OlDD.iIB8iOIlQl'8' OoUrt had POWer t0 ratLfy what it had ths original power to author&e.
Hers the spplloatlon had been mad8 ana ths salary ilxsd by the oaumlesloners*~ oourt in sdvanae of the servloes poriormed thereunder.
The ooo11pis~loner~~ oourt elearly had no pow- er thereafter to lnoreaae the salary ror ~ervloes alread performed under authoritf its order. ii e vaiw or thu 8ervioes psrrormsd oannot be inquired into. Nor is it material that the justioe astually paid the fill 096 to the deputy eaoh month as tim senlaes werm rendered.
Vhe other reoovered ltemrr in dispute wsre thoss in the roiiodng quotation rrr08i and 1936 annual reports: Pierson's 198111 1936 POStage . . . . . . . . . . . . $60. POStS@.........#85 Traveling Zxpsnsss.. 60. Trareling Sxpen. 30 Messenger Servloe... 26. Yessenger Serv. 18
?Plereen made no monthly statements aa re- qulred In the iollowlng portion of R&.8., Art1010 88991 'At the olose of eaoh month oi his tenure 0r suah orrioe eaoh otrloer whose tees are arrsoted by the provisions Ot‘thls lawshallmaks as a part ofths report 2101 required by law, an ltemlsed sworn state meat or all the aotual ma usoessary sxpenser lnourred by him in ths oondust of his ofr&oe, suoh as stationery, stamps, klephone, travsl- ing expenses and othsr neoessary expense* fr suoh erpenae lmurred in somsotlon with any partioular oase, moh statement sh@ll nsae sueh owe. Suoh oXpen aooount Shall be subjeat to the sudlt Of f&s county audtter, it any, snQ fr it appear that any itsm Of ruoh expense was not lndurred by mob officer, (~1: *10 that BuOh item wns not ne~aoBBary thereto, auoh item may be by mush auditor or oourt reJ*oted. h nhloh 0888 thOO0CmOtAOBS Or suoh item may be adjudloated in any sourt' or oompeteat jurlsdlotlon. * * * 9 c “Thr SLaIkirOSt pUrpOB0 Or thi8 St8tUtO
was to provide a smans o r l soertalning the oorreotaess of l xpeuse itsau eashmonth a8 they are lnourrsii. The aotualexpense8 paid or lnuurred oonstltute the msasure of the OrriOia’B right to rsooupment. The monthly ltemlsatlon ls ror ths proteotloa th8 oounty by ariordlq a~mesns or asaerttxining the raot and amormt or 8ueh olaimed item 0r expense and whether it was~propsrly ohar&a- b& as moh$ It 18 manirest rmmt& annual &~K&B and donfl~dbythe evidenseflist these expeasss were merely ostlmatsd and a lump sum given eaoh ysar.. l%e,.statute wculd b8 Or A0 ~81110 it it8 ul\l)or)r z’orfSiOn8 oould be evaded ln this mannsr t *holdthe itOQ8 properly disal&wed by the oamni8~ioaaB~ OOUl't+ tuta the trlsl OOWt'S ~ud&Bwtt oorreoh in deiiying r800vary thereror.*
Under Art1010 3399, supra, cash orrioer ,fs required, as apart orhlrmonthly report, tomake a 8tatement of ths expenses laourred by him in the oon- duet or hi8 offloe; and it is provided that the ammint thereof shall be deducted by the orrioer in making th@ rSpOZ% rEOI!J tb t!KUOUt Or OurXTdi rOO8, ir My, am by him to alo omanty.
The aoaount is subjaot to the audit of ftu .cwuuty audit&r, if any, or othenrlss the oesmls- BiOMUrB’ OOUEt.
Ordin8rily BtatUt@S that m&ate anb~prO8srlbs the time within whiah sn orfioer 8hal1 perform speel- iled hatlea are regarded a8 msrsly dlreotory %u8oia?
as the t&no oonoerned. Though, ths 0rri00r neglsotr
Eon. Wayne &fern, peg* ll
to set within the t&B prBBerlbed, it he acts rfterc warda the publla till not perriMe to auffqr by haerea crude oil ao. Y* forratw oil ao. iii@8%?&., Wt Tl’MhUt Y. Add~OeS T@X. 8191 TOX. fur., Vol. 34, p. 466.
ForLr8 gr6nt6d t0 orrioer8 anut be l xer8l8- 66, sad dUti.8 ippO864 ou them-t be perioawd in the menner pretmrlbed la not per- by law. An orrloer mltt6d to vary the pr68orlbed m&e of periornunoe oi oamp To TEQaa8, 88 8.W. &d) 490; Bryaa hi8 duties. Y. Sundber$ S Tex. 4l8~ Tex. Jur., Yol. 34, pe 456.
We an rindful of the rule that what the oaa- oould 8UtEOhSO ia * first iMtM66, riB8iOIA6rS*.OOWt lt may ubssquently ratify, botu6 oaa 866 no l pplioa- to the SitUatiO A lot b-4 U&IOU SU8h raBt8 M prr- tiOn sent66 to this departmenta pioblio o?floex8 are 6hrg6d with kakrled~ oi the &tie8 h&t0864 upon the8 br has pn8oribed law and uh4tm the ~qLBlatum a pnxm- dure sad maxma ior the pmriozmaaoe of amh datie8, they 6am6t i@6re sush p?6Oedure or oh0686 other &&hhodS end above Quot#a sta&utes prmUe the method andmennor by whl6hofflosr8wZm aze ooapoamt- l 4orrat~b~~~~l~pncclnt~aPt~a~ and-a statement or all th e l Otu8l neaes*a~ 0rgm808 in- owr66 them in the 0-wt or t&e* Offl668 at tlw. olose of 6aamnth oC+brir tenomu of oftioo. Cltwh 80BOU8t Bhan 86 SUbjOOt t0 #6 8Udit Or th0 Up6M6 oountr endltor, it a!ay, otherwin by tho 6dssIOn- ore* oourt end ii it appears that fte&.Qi Suoh expense N not laourre4 by such 0rr owe o;r, eneh itu "T or 0rri66, suoh lws tWll yas not n060888ry upon86 be, by swh udltot or oeWrt, m rated, ia rhish oM6
the,6oll6&ioa 0r Swh rtem may i 6 6djodloat6d in any 006x-t 66mp6tsnt jnrf.8dlotioa~ t0 SakO
Not only %S it tE6 duty Of an OiiiOW l-@p?;il?@d by &tiOb -08, bUt hi8 JXtpOl’tB a8 SUQr8, ArtloSe 108 the Petml U6d0, above qaot64, ma&a8 it a penel orfenss ror fallur~ to 6kaW Ohs r6ports as re- qubed by the StStUt68.
Ohder the raets prenntdl in ytwr lnquirj, the *12 Eon. Wayne Lerevre, page 12
OoLtaty clerk substaatlally camplied with the requl?e- meats of Artlole 3899, in filing 22 monthly report8 during the years of 1939-1938 sad Should reoelve the benefits 0r these reports for the months ror whioh they were riled.
Ia view the roregoiag authorities, rol) advised that it is the opinion #f are reppeotfully this department that 6OUItty OrfiOidS who ars oma&en- sated on a fee bCiSi8 who tail to m&w their monthly reports as required by Se&ion (a) of Artla3s 3399, supra, ior the ysars 1939 and 1998 oannot file suah reports at this tim cad olaim BuOh erpensS8 as nigat have been sllowed under the monthly reports had they been flleU in ooapllence wlth the 8tatutes requiring a monthly report to be filed at t e close of eaah 4 month of their tenon, oi offioe*, I6DweYer, this opia- ion iB not to be ,ooast?ued 88 holding thtit thoss Offi- oers who ialled to make the required monthly reports are not entitled to the sOtu& lts8iS Of 6XPSn8OB a8 oen be deterd.ned, frost 01ee.r snd oomiaoiag Proof to &iv8 been aotually and neoeBearil inourred by gCLdai;in the lsgal ooaduot 0r their 0 F rices upon a to oormty emdi.tor and eommlBeion- ~g+~~~wlng We are of the opinion that suah expeMe8 as OSJJ be &own to be oorreotby proper method8 other than the monthly reports oan be allowed.r/ rally Trusting that the roregolng~ ansrsers your inquiry, vm are Yours Yew truly ATTORWSY GXl!ERAL OF TEXAS AW:ob