*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
G- c. MA”” l-n GLIIsnAL
Honorable Wolan Queen
Crlminel Dlstrlot Attorney "'
Parker Coucty
matherrord, Tmis
Dear Sir:
Your reQu44t fox 4n r80alv4a uad carefully aonslder6d by
~cequeet as Folloqsr
0 S$ls* seetirrn Coart to tix abatement Of factt3, tho coDppf4slOn4~4' he Shd.ii~llti Yok-&v~ also tan US the fuz'ther inio'rolatfon that 4x-0tfi4iO 00~1 4neatlOn ior the sh4tirr ~44 dll0~4d the ,fisoalyear 19sb ena that tble amount wu3 ]Pnclu&d ln the tote1 rlmelgts or $5,227.%8; The go~ul4tiOn Of Btrkar County, T4x44, ~OOordf!@
to the 1WO Federal Geneus, was 3&780 lnhubitants, find *4 salary at $GS,2136.16 the amount aaraed as salary by the aounty clerk of said county in 1935. Later In 6abl month, January Xat, at e aall session of seaid aourf, his snlary ma fixed %t f?i,RSO par p46r. On January 11, 1937,,tha a~omltseioasrs* oourt in ragular session fixed hla salary at &5,000, for that ygsr;and on Jaauaay 10, LW8, said couzt fixed his salary at $S,OOO for aaid year. !Chlu wits $286.16 leas than miaimum rralary for 1935, and @SO 1-s than the a&my aa flxod'by the order of JaaUary 31, 1956. Ap- ' peUe4 prayed dud&x&at for @92.S2, the differ aace batwean the $3,000 gsr year; for lBa9 and L(i38, aad the rpiniitws~ of ($S 286.16 as fired by ordsr of'Jaduary~l.2 1946 or In the alter&i- tire, tar m.g1~0nt for boo $i the imler oi Yea- qtmy Sl, .lSW, pnaqwd at: thq~o,all.sd s~e~on be faurid ‘prop.ar. phs J@$#i+w&a ltor @5wLse.
: *8'oxhlak .a)~4 ordar flixic&'app4llur*s salary earnings ia'l885) en6 that being shim& to hapi) been $%,2&%6.16, thn coml11410~4ra~ oourt did not b4v4 the authority to ignorer this statutory pro- rimIon of mlalaum salary and fir the aalarg at W,000. [234] provisions, the etatuta authorlz- iQg thk 05lfd.4~15A4~S' OOUti to fix the S&hrr at any mm not 148s then a oertain mlaimum, aad not ~5~4 thsn a sertsain 3mdm3~1, are mandatory, aiiiT eould not ignored by the membera z~f the aorurt' at th4l.r dioarutlan. The Or&a firing apgella4*0 #alary at $Zi,iiOO wat? without autho&ty, find w void."
To the eeme effeot eeo Barogdoohe8 County r..J'inklas, t\pp., writ retuaed, 14C S. U. (2) QOl. Ho. 045858% OS ti.ie bepa-daent hol6s, am~pg Upin5on
other thinga,. that the ohenge in tha .opulnticn of Tr6vir Cynty, tf~xas, as shown by tha.Bxlera I: Cansus of 1840, bed no effect-upoa &ho s2&iMei of,the aitstrs~t, county elld pre- olnot oftlwrs or Bald county;ond thet the minimuin asalary of such en officer oould not ti lees than the tot& cum earned as oompeneation.&y the iucumbeut af th,:-.offfe~ In his airi- clel 6tjpaoity.fox the fieoal ye.nr 19SS onG thzt the maximunr -s%laky aould tit be l~ore.tban'the,marLrnuP~naount allowed euah incumbent under laws~exieting on August 24, 1939,'and eLaae the lV30 Federel Census we8 than in effect euoh aeneu8 rae contro115n& be onoloee herenith a aopy all apinion No. o-2982. .
,fn thie histan the population rarker cOun*, .Texae, ye,Xena t&ah ZXi,OCiO inhabitante aooordlng to both thhs 1930 ena ~194a,Fedewl coneuees..
0 lnlon xo. O-345 of thle Ua~rt.&k. holds thef un- der tbs OSf oers' Salary Law, the LWtriat Glark of Lkaeittim 4
,C~iurLy,~~~~.waa‘s'iititled to *aat .lsss than tha lx&al eue~ eernsd as.oonpem4atSona psther than wm sash 00iieOtea* ar yeaaned uti6 colleatedd*, and~in arriving at the corraet,aieLswa .salaryto to paid aaid offloor, the oommlueionere' court shculd consider ~th& tia totaL'of both foes, the oollected and un1$01- 1eoted;:to #hiok 'he.would havebeon le~allg~on~tled $07 the yeeq193Is. Tiio op5nion~:altWhol@ that in ;ooq~uti@& said olerk~s' &U.&y the'. wmalerionsra.?~ awrt should .dkau& from the t6te.l ocuripen~a~~on~ earned, oalls6teU .land unoolleoted, the expeneea of the otfke Z'or the year 1935, whlchnere legally allcked by the.~onrafeeiirtrers' ociurt for th%t year. ml an- clotie 8 copy of :o&&lon HO. o-345,.
The caao.ot Aoderson Ccwity v. Hopkills, 187 8. W. 1019, holds t&et-er-otrlcio oompaneotion cannot bh reerdea as ~8x0886 fwm* waler Article 3001, V. A. C. Y. ?ltbls~ thi feote et&&d the offioitll earnings ot the
,. Sh8rifP.in 19SS uere $b,E27.90. mppea~8e OS m-ice or #qszo.OO deauat.64 f&a ~0 tottil lsavas 8 balanoa &3,907.9& Sin00 ’ t&e $3#G.O0 es-cSficSo compensation cannot rtxgtadai¶ as
"exeees fees* under Article 3S91, siupre, earad ah&&I aleo bo deduoted, leaving a bel.aoe of @T,607.98, whiok bulen&e eon- stitutas the total smarnt of fees for the yeer 19Zl8. From the
sum $3.609.98 we deduot S.2,400.00 (the 8heriff's first mxinurr. unGsr i.Ftlole 3883, V. A. C. 8.. sUpX%z) leaving a br:lance of $l,ZC9.W as escesa fees. We dlvlao the @1,207.98 oxooss fme by thrrc (under Wtiolo 11891, aupre) whloh makes 'he! aac; the ~ece.66 to &,400&O whlo:r mskw g$;;:&. To this ia alma added ox-otfioio oompeneation ~900.00, whiokt m&es tha sum of #3,108.66. liewevlr, under 9001, supra, tho arcoad or final maximum salary ie h~iols #J,OOO.OO ?or auoh Sbedff.
flndar,the f&a ett,tsd the salary ot the she&S ahould be tired at exaotly $J5;OOOi(xf--pbither lllure nor l.eso.
vary truly yours BY /a/ Wm. J. Farmim