Case Information
*1 .’
The Attorney General of Texas -.Decembcr 2. 1905
JIM MAlTOX
Attorney Honorable term1 1. Smith Opinion lo. m-386
Suprcm6 Cowl BulldIng chairm6n P.0.Box12545 AUCIln. lx 75711.2545 Rc: Whether an aldentan of 6 comictee on Crimfml Jurispmdcncr 51Y4752501 Tcxar Eoure of Rcyresentetives general ldw city uay 8eave * Telex 5la574.1267 a member of that city's police P. 0. Box 2910 Td.coplrr 5121475-0255 betin, Texas Xl69 reeenw 714 Jackson. Suitr 700 Dear Representative Smith: Dall6c,~ 752024505 214n42a644 You reque8t w opinion on the follwlng question: Can m 6lderwn on a24 AIbmC AVE.. Sulle 160 l El P6ao. TX. 198052763 se-e as a member that ltav city legally 615f533.3464 same ciq’8 police rererrre? lav city to 9986, V.T.C.S., authorizes a general
loolT*x4s.sullr 700 a pollctc re6erve eetabli6h force: wouslon.Tx. 77002.3111 7cmm
: (a) The governing body of en7 city. tom. 6tabllstment Village for :u6y provide of 6 we Broulrry.Suilo 312 ;dFz,., ceawy,e ~fo~tiori;ber6 Luboock.tx 764013r7s f f 6hall appointed 6ce747-5255 of the chiei of police shall ‘at the~dircretioo actual dis- oeme OII puce officeF6,. during 008 N. TmIh, SUII. 8 charge officiel duties~. :..;~ McN6n. lx. 7wol-1565 512l662d647 ,% governing body s&l 6trblirb (b) quali- fiutionr and standard6 of tr6inins 200 MIllI PlU& Suit. No ~~t~~l~~~i,I.c~~~~~=e~d msP lfmit size sari ~ntodo. Tx. 762052767 512/22541s1 (4 No person appointed to the police ~~ reserve cm- veapon or otherviee y act es l
peace officer until h e I166 beeo l p p rwed titer pprwal. pvernimlg body. he UI earn l onlr yhen utho&ed -Chief - of ve66on Police,, and- when dirctirgin$ official duties a6 a duly ecmrtituted puce officer.
(d) kkmbers of the police reseme force serve chief of end may at discretion at time the chief of be callscd into remice *2 RonOr6bL6 ferr61 Il. Soitb - I’eSe 2 (M-386)
r to have dditionel police COn6ider6 it neee6mry officers to preruve the puce rod enforce
~16V.
(e) llemben af police .rememe force uy ,seme without eompme~tion but the governing body uuifom 6~ prwide compen66tiou police reserve force. The compens6tio6 shell
be b66ed solely qon time rerved by peder of police reeerwc fotee vhile in treinins for, in the perform&Inca of, officiel dutier.
.cer, end reserve (
6th benefits 66 6et cut %n Chapter 86, Acts of the 60th Legialrture, Regul6r Sc6sion, 1967, 66 6mended (Article 622Sf. Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes). prwided. that nothing hwev6r. thi6 Act 6he1.1 construed 6utborize or petmit 6 aIf re6eme to becoue eligiblr for p6rticip6tioo in 6ny peurion fund crated pur6mnt to St6te stetute to vhich regul6r officerr cney become l ,.member p6yroll deductions or othc~nrire.
(8) R666q6 OffiC6rO 6h611 6Ct only in suppltoPrnt6ry,c6p6city the reguler police 6nd 6h611 ‘.LIP no. c66e s6uue full ti6te duties of r,&lar officerr without first for such reguler complying dtb 6:llL requirement6 police officers.
(h) This Act doer not lfmit the pwer of the gwerel-kv 6unnon uyor into force, service l 6pccirl 66 prwided St6tuteo of Tex66. 995, Rrri6ed Civil (Eoph66is dded) . 1925.
The council hm conofldlerable supervisory pwer wer The council st6b:lisbes tbe force end determine6 size. it6 It sets qu6lifiestions 6nd tr6ininS stend6rdr for member6 and determiner vbetber they rh611 receive compen66tion 6nd ho6pit61 6nd medic61 6srist6nce. No inclividuel member of the police re6eme m6y C6rry 6 Ye6pon or otherraise 6Ct 6 police officer until he h66 been 6pproved by the city council. &
’ . (RI-386)
Ronor6ble Terre1 1. Smith a. P6Se 3
In our opinion. tba! coIIIDon In, doctrine incomp6tibility prohibits an eldermen on xhe council of l Sener61 16~ from l ewin~ ~6 e member of This doctrine city's prevents frw two offices duties r6 one perron boldinS if in other. conflict or if one 16 &bl,rdinate
District So. 1, 50 S.W.2d :
other grounds 6ub nom. Prultt v. Glen Rome Independent School District No. 1, 84 S.W.2d 1000 T;:. 1935) ; Attoruey Cenerel. Opinionm m-203 pA;pv-303 (19071. Sea! 6160 Stete v. Martin, 51 S.U.2d 615 (Tex. --- . . - Snn Antonio 15,32, no vrit). Coasideratioer of incompati- bility al60 bar 6 public csfflcer from rppointing himself to en office or employment over vhich lrtr holds the appointive paver. Eblinger v.
Clark. S.W.Zd (Tex. 1928); Attorney Gmnerd Letter Advi6ory No. ii$7l975); see al60 Starr County v. Cuerra. 297 S.W.?d 379 (Tar. Civ. Although 8 of the re6eme
. - Ssn Antonio 1956, no vrit). poverr of a is appointed by police: chief, he MY not exercise hi6 ppointnent. peace officer until the city 6pprwer art. 9986(c). The city council’m 6pprov61 power rerembler a V.T.C.S. rbared povcr rppoiot. Attoruey General Letters rbared pov8r l p p oict Advisory g06. 156, 132 context of nepotism +ertion). In viev of city council'6 the police. reserve supervision and other 6ul.bority over member6 force, and accountabi:l!Lty resewe member6 to the city council. a member the city council may not 6etve on city's re6eme.
SUMWART . Article 996a, V.T.C.S., Sives the city council con6iderable 6uIeKVisO9 authority over MtDber6 Of re66crre uk46 accountsble to the city eouoeil. The cow00 l~v doctrine ir.comp~tibility therefore bars an alderman on the city council of lav city from also serv1r.g es a member the city's police re6erv•.
Very truly your J-J~
JIM UATTOX Attorney Gener61 of Texas JACX RIGEITMR
yir6t A66i6tant (k!oeral
gonorable 1. Smith - pege 4 (~~-386) terrrl
NARY RELLER
Executive Assistant
ROBERT GMT
Special &rirtont AttorSey ~;arner&l
RICR GILPIN
Chairmm, Gpfnion Coumittee
Prepared by Swan L. Garrim~n Attorney General
Ammiot6nt
APPROVED:
OPINION COM4ITTEE
RI& Gilpin, Chaiamw
Colin Carl
SU6m G6rri6OU
Tony Gull109
Jim Moellinger
Jennifer Riggs
Nancy Sutton
Sarah Vqelk
BNCe Youngblood
-- .Z ,