Case Information
*1 December 22, 1975 c&Lion No. H-753
TheHonorabl~ %nryWade District Attamey m1lascounty awermnmt center Ra: Whetherawuntyamis- Dallils,Texas 75202 sioners courtcan set a madatmy rstirm8ant age when the county has a civil service cannission.
Dear Mr. Wade:
You have requested our opinion cmoemiq whether a county annissioners court in a axnty having a civil service cmnissicn may establish a maximunremtage of at least65 years. Youalso ask whether such an order of the court would prevail over an inconsistent regulation of the civil service cunnission.
Attorney General Opinions C-178 (1963) and k8-1050 (1961) ruled that a carmissioners court had the pcwer to set a retirenentage for mstanmty enployees. Howaver, article 2372h-6, V.T.C.S., was subse- quently enacted in 1971 and provides for the creation of county civil setice carmissions. Such anrnissions are authorized to 'make, publish, and enforce rules. . . relating to . . .(4) layoffs and dismissals: . . . and (7) othermatters having to dowith selectlon of anployees and their advancement, rights, benefits, arid hvrking amdhiozs. . . .' Sec. S(a).
In our view these provisions of article 2372h-6 are sufficiently broad to authorize a civil service cannission to set a -tory retire- ment age so long as it is not set l&w than 65 years. V.T.C.S. art. 6252-14. Theout-of-state cases we havediscoveredsupport this resolu- tion. lxddv. VanRi 51 A.2d 34 (N.J. 1947); ses also Karrick v. --+ EoardofWlcat~mo 3ndlay S&a31 District, 190~~25677Xo~ m;-i&rrberger v-Watson, 114 N.E.2d 15 (N.Y. 1953); Cawleyv. Board -- of Trustees, 76 S.E.2d687.Va. 1953). p. 3188
sincethepd.orcpinicmsof thisofficedidmtczncem aamties &aid had a civilsemice anmissim, and since theywsre basedon the andssimers axrt's general authority over enplcyees, wk& nut believe themtoammJlyalrquestions. Whereaonmtyhascreatedacivil sewice amnis5~m, thatanmission hasgeneral tegulatixyauthority over county np:7y-es. See Attorney General C@nicx~ H-619 (1975). In our opinion this autbri~su@snts the impliedauthxityof oxmks- sioners courts m ret.iremnt ages. lhus a amnissiaers court in a car&y having a +vil service onmisaim doss not have the autbrity to set amardatory rzetummtage; that authority lieswith the civil semice camtissian.
SUMMARY In a axmty which has created a civil service cmnission pursuant to article 2372h-6, V.T.C.S., the civil service cannission rather than the amissioners anrt has the autbrity to enact armndatory reti remant age for aoploy- ess subject to its jurisdidon so long as suchageis notsetla+srthan65years.
Attorney General of l&xi p. 3189