Case Information
*1 FAGAN DICH!3OX .,&ch 24, 1948 -usIIIwI yn'the above aub,ject +t.ter.is, In;part,, as f+l.lqys~ ,'. .: 4
"At thd Janrie;iy 'term;th@ ~Commiss10nkp‘~s 'Court voted to remai&on*a 'fee~bksis' for-
th& sear ig48i, The Cog@ssiotiers* Cc& ~:set'the &xLti~kmount of fees to be re.- . . ;t&+a'by the sheriff' (Arji;:'3883, 3891:; ', " etc.)".Ft $3,600.00 p+ Jiear.
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'By the.,author;tg ana- &.r~b~ion~ of"Ari.- ' 6877-l Vernon's &n. C&v. @+?, Sec. 1 (c) the Canrmissioners* Co-t entered &ti order.
to pay the~sh&lff.anh hiss depn&i&"7q! pe??
mile for the use of. their persone;llg owned cars'for each mile traveled In the ptiyf,qrm- knee '0P official.'dutles.~~f.,'o,ffi~e. :,~ j. .I ._ "Quest&i' Ho. 1 --lk,li'th&~aniount paid ,to. '.
the sheriff and hli deputies under the above order be a"fee'o~.~'~thg-irher~fff's of- fke *ma+ Art.; 3883;389%. etc., sna ifso wall-it be~accoMtable.bJi'.him ae 'other "
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"Question'No~ 2 ---If the'-'ans%rer;$@ Qkeg-. ' ' tioti'No. 1'1s ~afflr&tive;~hould the pay ,:I for this mileage be made to the shetilff'. .'~ to be by h$m paid ag ,w sees proper to the deputies oF sh&la.$he &puts beg psi~.dg- _* .~ ,. .. : rect?
"Question No. 3 ---Since Art. 6877-l'is .a*- parently mandatory, will Commissioner's *2 Hon. R. Y. King, page 2. (V-526)
courts have the authority to limit the nnrp- ber of mll6s that till be approved forpay- ment? That is, limit the sheriff to say 2000 miles maximum, first deputy 1500 miles, etc.? ,_ " 'Question~No. ~---HOW can'~ihe Commission-~ er's court determine what ndleage is offi- cial auty?m
H.'B. 501, Acts of~,~the 50th Legi&at&e,~ti. S. 1947, (Art. 6877-1, V;C.S.)Vas held to be,.inandato+,'by oti Opinion Ho. V-293. It was further 'held' in Opinion Ho. V-515.that the traveling expense provided~by R. B. 501 was to be paid to.a sheriff on a fee basis out of the general fund of the county and noLout of fees of office. Ferefore, th+traveling expense OS a sheriff provided by the provisidhs. OS H;.B.'501 is n0t.a fee .~ of office and will not be &count%8 Sbr tis a fee by the sheriff. NeLther is quch travellng,exp+se.a portion of the salaries,p&d those shertifs On a'salaky basis. Therefore, .it.is. our 0plniOfi in answer..to your 'first question tb& the.amount +.id:a& traveling expenses ti- der the order of the CommLSs16hers1 Cotit mehti6ned in your request. is hot a fke of .th& ~h&+iSf~$'off'ice and '; wlll not be accountable ati a f&e tisz%iiring at the sheriff's ~ti,compensatio~. :,-..~ '..
.Ih,vlew of.our:an;ri;ei.~to.yo~,.'Plrst~q~~~tion, it is not,ne@3ssary to answer que.stJon.lGdt, ?.1
S&ion 2'0s H;'B. 501.~p&&& &at'&& to the present-Act there,wa& no atl~qtrgjklaw provld$ng for transportation f66 kheriffs and'thelz depnties. There- fore, the Legislature enacted.& & 5Ol:and did not place a limit.on the~ikmb6r 'hbr die's Qhlch'the sheriff coald-trave>.In 'the performance dS.6SSi.ci;al, autfes. Ori the contrary, the I&jis&ature pro+iaea ur@er subdivision (0) that they "shall be paid,not.Zek~s:thEin rilx 'cents (6#) per mile.nor rnb-ti~teti cents‘ '(I&) per ralle:for each ndle traveled in th6 performance of'WSlcia1 duties." Therefore, it is our opinion that the Commissioni3rs~ . Court cannQt l+t the.number of.m$les whlch~.tl&e.Sher- iif and hls:,deputie$mag tra+eJ. in $he perftir+ance of 0SSiclal duties. ,,. .:'I : ., " :..:. . . . . . :,
;H. B.'-561 .states &at 'Bl~~don;pensation'pald under the p~ovlslons of this Aot &hall be Pp&'a sworn- statement of such sheriff.' In view of this pr?vlsZon, *3 . -
~Hon. R. Y. KQg, page 3. (V-526) c TV: ..
it is our opimon that the'C~&iiissioners' Court may re- qulre thesheriff to furnish the Court in his sworn ac- ,count such information which is necessary for the COUH to determine what 'mileage'~was~ traveled .ti the perSorm- ante of those duties set out in various statutory pro- visions prescribing .the dutiesof the sheriffs and their deputies. See'Art. V, Sec. 23, Texas Constitution ii?
SUMMARY .l •~ Traveling,expense of sheriffs and their deputies paid una&r the provisions of H. B. 501, Acts of the‘50th Legislature, (Art: '687711, V.,C. S.) is neither a See of office in a See county nor ~a portion of the’sheriff’s salatig in a “sklarg” County.
This expense is to be paid out of the Couu- ty'sgeneral fund.
2, The Commissioners Court is not authorlzea%o”llmit the number ~of .miles the sheriff'may travel in the performance of his offlcfal atities. ., . :
3. Thb Commissioners' Court ntax re- quire sufSlolent information in the Sh&?- iff's Sworn Aceount" of traveling expense to determine how many miles were traveled in the performance of his official duties.
Yours very truly, AT!CORREYGERERALOF TEXAB APPROVED: . .