Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFT&AS AUSTIN
June x, 1939 omw c. MANN 'imn.mlnu -..
@n. G80. w. cw state Siarilth Otfiaar
iwatln, T0xas
Dee Sirs
Ub ami i?l~ raoeipti
B39, in nbleh you a& for
qtl8lit~onst
.,. ‘. hee.Lth officer for hi~~ oo*w&y, who shall hold of- ii08 for tU0 YOtW8, solid comity he&t& ofYX.cer atu3.l take cud subcsarlbo t3 the. of'riclnl. oath, and &ail rile 81 oopy oX mch o&h und a cu?y d c *2 Ron. Ceo. V..,Ck, Jum 1, 1339, Page 2
his &qqmintkit with the 'Dzas-Sate Board of Doalth; and, until such copiao nre no fl;led, said officer shall not bo deei~ad legally qwl- iriOd, Cozpensatlan or s&d county hoalth or- rioar shall be fixed by the Com&ssiamrs* Court; provided, that no ooqmmatlcn or sal- arp diall be allowed ttxaept rce ~tu-rl~txi aatually rcndore4Lm
--50 oose.ruo'such statute a5 lfdsblg it ll2andato- ry upon the Conmisnlczlers~ Coat to appoint bletualally a progtxr ~XSXXJ~ tin the otfIos OS cqmty health ofticer.
~., &rtio&e 4426, Rev1Plne.d ClvIl 3tatutes, low, au- thmizoa tho nppointment~oi axounty health offloek.by :~:the State Roard o~Re.slth, ifthecounty autborltloa do
not act, '.
mJol8 &27 out&Os the duties oi a aouhty "health orric8r. This ehumeratim Is 5.n d&all&?& give8 .Uiz a nultltude of ~esponslbilitfes. Aiding and assist-,~' : 'ina; tha.!fJxas stat0 Ro3rd~oi Realth or0~~as;on&-bis tashs: : _.
The. Mt YE&80 tb&t ho *~l$.dlsohargo an7 addltionel ~:dui;izY,wtioh it s&y b8 proper for county authorities und& ,. the prasant~lm.fio rocpdro~or aouht7 physloiahs.?. ~. Lo ~.: .
Article 44%. ~&vised Civtvu &!tut8s; iQ&* is : -l '4xolt&3lve autborlty ror~~tho~~cuoval.of a bounty hoart&. .~
. . . . 0rri0ctr.’ xt .PC~@: :: T . .
"In'all &?&terkrtith~whiOh the' State Board ,~ .~ 'of @alth say be.clothed tith autharity, said county hsaltb offlcor shall at all times be un- d8r it8 dlreotian;~and an7 failUr8 or rafUs+ on the part of said county henlth offloor to oboy Chea %utlIoority and ransonable COlYdN3Ud3 Or _ said Stat8 Ro.ard of Rmlth &all oonstitute ~mslfmaence ia offloe, and &m&l subjact,said~ county heslth 0rxlOcx to rmoval fron ~0friOO .' at tho relrrtbn of the State Rasrd ot Renlth; and Reiid!sgahurjgw forremm3.,'sald~o~nty health offlcer s!iall not rmzlve any salar7~or . OOZ!-~ZlS%tlUi* ?%;id onuoo~ahall be trlod In the dlstrlct acwt of the oountp ia tv':ioh such aouu- ty health of:lccr res,fdea.w.
iscin. Ge0.S. c&&a 1, 1939, Faeo 3 .
. The oomf,y health officer lo &raM,eU a‘trial OS the removal cause "In tho district court oi the ooun- ty in -;rhlch mch county?ieelth officer resi&xP.
Artiolea 4420 and 4429, Revised iXvKt Btetutes, 1925, n&t be strictly follmed 5n the attempted remval of a oounty baelth offioar.' It.will be notcd Chat the rt%ovel proossdings in.this instanoe are instituted by the State L3oard Gr R%alth. The ground8 nro malfoaannc8 of Off%08 coosistiq GS fall.uro and rof~sal to dlsob.sr&e the dutlos OS the afflae~~ _i
': Artlcle.4425, aSvLsad~Givl1 Statutes, 1925 : ~Oi Oity health OiwOarc' It QZCoV&.sa: &k%t8d~tke Offi -The .gWeipi~ btn+ ot:&?h inokporatii .".
bltp Mb townwlthlnthLa State shall eleot a. ~Wltled person for the office of olty health 45ffioer by-a h.aJorlty or the votes oi i;as @V- cming body,:oxco$ 3.n cStles w!&oh raoy be oper- : : ated under ahbarter groWIing~for ai diC&xrent :Y-. '. method of aeleotin6 city p4siolan5, in which .. ._ .. avant the offree o$.olt.tu health otfloer ohall rile 0 009~ of.8~~0ath~~d 6 00pp 0r his tip". - po$ntnSnt wM.3 tha Taxes state Bwrd OS HeaTltQ and shall not be deemed to.be legally quallZi8d until said aoples ohell. have boa so filed." I' : : (Underaooring OurB)r~.~~ ': ~' The'etatuta oletrr~ stipxibatas that %a no' In- 'stanoe sballtho,oSf5.ccr of oity health officer be aboU.ah- &d" .. *~ .)
Artlole 4430, RevLsod C5.vll stt$tutes, 1925, out-
‘lkgthe d;tties Of a olty health officer, plaoes th%s orflour under tha diructlon and rqulatlon ot the State ,Bmrd OS Eealth. .,.
' Tha.Olty htilth oftlocr like the county health 0fffO.S $8 subject Of ~8~OVSl at th8 rClf&tkXI Of' the StEt.8 *4 ul. GYO. ?i. coxi Juno 1, 1939, R?.ge.4
bard of Boulth and a trial ia‘the blstrlct court of his :slt%nos prwldod. Artidleo 4431 cud 4432, Revised CLV- ? strltutos, 1925.
The ststaitce do not subordlnato the positi& P olty health officer to that or oouuty health offLoer.
3ey-are parallel'fu b.portunoe, legal status, and
acpo of wotik outllmid for the rcspeotlve poaltlacs.
cth offioezr are subject to the state Roard of Realthl * nthar than to caoh other or to the County Cctisslmerst mix-t. : '.
~InArtTcle.eo 4433 MCI W54, Rovloed CiVii St&C;- tic*, 1925;'~1 tinnual oonfer8noc 0r oounty tind city _.
ealth offlours uaderthe dh8otlon of the State Board or aalth la provided for, and oooperaticn betwe8n municipal .uthOrttf8S~ aad the ~oZUi&3oioKle~' CO& in X'8titlolt to .ealth m&tore-is urged, ,. :. .: '.
.A earcful oo&de&%ux oithe.aforeueutloz&h '. to lndioate'thut itwssthe leglslat2v.e in-~ irticlesfalle ieutf;!igt-thoCom&osicuent Court of the couatyhad aO8 ~ota~bf'jurlodiotlan over the-]iosltlcn of olty health:. ', .. bflOsr,, .: . .' _'
~'Bot.lk &e*pc&&aa o~'cckty &'ott,h ~h<h'~",~~ 3rri00ra arci stkmt.ory. &3it2l8& OS the& OZiil be %b&d&- ' ad riOi? CfUl they:bo cOuSO&bIt8d +8p$thbg: I?e&+itiVe c3t- rc?isxslt .
: It is BXk,re& ;rovl&d tf&.% no flz&lOe' shnXl.the offlce of oity'health 0rPlcsr be abolish8d't. : The &mr~zSnS~body.of the oity bps no right to abolish -:~.
th3 offxotb Thu Stato Raard of Health has LSO pm& to .
abcllsh ;it.~ Certainly the County Cor;nlssloaers* Court lrmks tlie autbwlty., Taaa3 l.e&lnture wrote the posl- tim of city health offlcer intothe ,law lu tha'intcrest of pub3,l.d health and Article 4425, Revised Civil Statutes; 1925, wouid hava to b.e repcls.t8d or iuaendcd before the SC&WZlt.8 ?OoS~tlCXl Of Olty heath Officer OOLLld b0 al&i- ,' fnat8d OT abOihh@.
~h8 cour,ty Gfxmlaslcmhrs~ Cou.Vt.has oortnin . - powers end outbcrity in roepect to the oCfLoo of county hmlth offlois. The poxcr of apRointzcixt., oo?.$rol,o~er *5 '.Eon. Geo. L$: cox, Juno 1, 1939, Page 5
compensation; and the right to prescribe duties, these all exist. But the State Board of Health has a oonour- rent control and authority. Clearly the power of the
Bounty Commissionersv~Court, In respect to the position or county health officer, is defined and limited by the statutes. The County Court oannot exoeed its express pow- er andrights.
Ee wish to point out that this department ii bpinion Ho. O-5lS to Honorable Fred T. Porter, County At- torney, Xaufman County, has already ruled that the offices ,of oity health officer and county health officer are oiv- il orrices 0r emolument within the purview or sootion 40 o$ article 16 or the Constitution or the State or Texas prohibiting any personsholding or exercising two suoh ~orrioes at the same.tlme.
~: ft is our opinion that a aouaty c~m.l~~i~ner~~ Court and a Oity Cannisslan are prohlbited both by set- ~.
tion 40 0r article 16 0r the constitution and the stat- utes or the State or Texas from appo5nting and employing ,tine person ati joint county and city health officer. Oie rurther,.hold that a CIounty Commissionera' Court is with- gut &thrity to relieve the, health 0rri0f2c 0r ths oounty of his otfioe and then re-employ him under a oontraot as county and oitg health offioer, paying hima salary ror 'both positions. To ho&d otherwine we think would be rea- .ognnizing In the Oounty:Commissioners* Court legislative' ..
-'mer to abo&lsh and ~oonsolidate statutory state offices In addition to the constitutionel inhibition; Finally, :.
'aCounty Commssionrars* Court may not legally remove's :oounty health offioer without boco-zing 'liable Under the .
contract or appointment exoept on the grounds 0r mslfeas- ante of office in an action instituted by the State Board or Health,.
Trusting that the above satisfaotorily'answors .'gour ~inpz.$rfec3, we are
Yours very truly BY B:omb
k3Si8tat A?PSGVZD: