The main problem prorented by the quertlon rubmlttcd 18 vhether the word8 "rhall hare prevlou8ly rerved the oounty or pollbltal rubdlvlrlon thereof ior not lerr than tvo con- tlnuour yeara" hould be oonstrued to tiean tvo oontlnuour yearm the ~ppolntunt, or m next preoediq tvo oontixkuou8 year8 sedlng appointment.

Where the 8tatutory language 18 uablguoum or.admlta of~more t&m one mimning, It la to be taken In ruoh ti 8epIe a8 vi11 oo&iform to the l o o pe and intent of the A&, and vi11 beet or rort eertalnly aoompllmh It8 purpole vlthout do- violence to plain rtrtutory language. A oonrtruotlon that vlll unduly limit it8 plain purpome, ~111 be &voided If po88ible. 39 Ter. hr. pp. 218-219.

In permitting the payment of a larger 8alarf to the head of a department rho 'rhall have prevlourlj rerved the oounty or polltloal rubdlvlrlon thereof for not 1088 than tvo year8 , ” ve believe the bglrlature intended that a contlnuour head of a deparwt with prevlour experience in oounty mattera rhould be entitled to a larger 8alary than an inexperienced person. By requiring the prevloua aervioe to be “not leas yearr” ve bellwve Iaglrlsture

than tvo continuous Intended to set a minimum length of experience required to qualify an appoLntee to the additional salary, and to eliminate those persms vhose previous service totaled tv3 years blz:t VZS were *3 . -

Sonorable llelv%n Corbm, F8gm 3

employed only periodically. It 18 a matter of , oommon knkwledge ._ . . . --. - ._ ._ - - tnat 0ertu.n orrioerm or tne county governmnt, partruuariy the tax 88e88or-oolleotor, require extra help during oertain rumh p8riOdD.

To oonrtrue the vordr in quertlon am reanlng tvo

ooAtl.Auoua yearm bppolntment vould be plrolng the purpore o? -the rtatute. 8uoh a~ Undue limitat a oon8truotloA~vould lialtnite sum7 able 8en rith mny year8 o?~ oontlnuow rerrloe . 8uoh a oonrtruotlon vould alma prerent a rerlour quertlon am to the le UL offloer taking h of time that offloe on Sa~uary 1 1941, oo d valt before appointing the tF

head8 o? the 8eTer departmEnta without having the tvo OOA- d AeXt preOedi~ ~ppOb¶tmeAt interrupted Dui-

tiAUOU8 p-8 fieientlf to make ruoh propored appointee8 ineligible to qualify for the additional salary. It vould tend to penallre the of- fleer vho moat oarefulry and dellberately~attempted to appoint the beat qwlifimd per8on8. We oannot apee that thm purpore of the rtatute IA quertlan ju8tlfler rush a lirlted oenrtruotlon,

It 18 our Opinion, therefore, that the VOrdD "Dhrll rerved OouAtJ politioal 8ubdi~i8ioA there- have prerlourly Of ?Ol! AOt le~88 t&M in 8OOtiOA 5 O? k- tV0 OOllti.!NlOUD ~e~8,’ tiele 3902, mupra, rhotid be eonrtruod am meuii.ng x tvo eon- tlnuow~m preeed.bg the appointrent.

You are, thereform, rempeotf~l~ 8dvLred that it ia the oplnlo~ of thlr department, under the futr rtated, that thm 88lm7 of the ohle? deputy cannot legally l xoeed th8 mum of and that the malu7 of the other doputr, haad of the ~2600.00 autaaoblle tax department, cannot legally xoeed the rum of per uinu8. $2500.00

Your8 very truly ATTORHEY GElfERAL OF TEXAS BY Edgar Pfeil Assistant EP:RS This Opinion Conridered and

APPROVED MAR 19, 1941 /a/ Oerald C. &DA Approved in Llmlted Con?erenoe ATTOREEY 0ElGM.L OF TEXAS