R-75
PRICE DANIEL
ATIOHNEY
GEXERAL
Hon. Il. L Elneoa, Jr.
aptaJ lrrditor
mlk coutq
Llrlng8ton, Terra
bear Sirt
opinion MO. 7- 26
Boa. 6. L. Hm3on, Jr. - page 2
‘Osn the Ucmtmls8lomr8 Court approve peyrolls aad
paymoat of purehaw orders and trensnot business with
the Ooamlsslo~r of Prealaot MO. 1 abmnt from the statst
'Can he rppolnt a forenn to rot OS his superrisor
of rord B8lQteMfiae rnd owstruatlon for him mad the
ooml88lomr oontlttm his work ia Misslsslppltm
Ths Wmsry QuemUoa pamated by lyouriaqulry Is mhsthsr or
pot,wder ths mate submitted, ths psawoa in gwstlon hss nested or
8bondoned his oSf1ee OS Qaunty O~ssloaar.
In Uords aad Mee*, Vol. S7, peps 2l6-270,uo find the
~ouowing &floltlon8t
.~,-A-- . . . 4, I. d .. -2.
wRe81dewe 18 indeed mde up of hat mad lntbtttiort~
that ie, of abods rith latoat1oa af lw*irrtrrg.aut3t ir
not brokeab7gofagto seekraotherabods, but ooatWse8
uatll the faot mad lakatiea aaite :a aaother abode elss-
rhere.w 37 Ii. & P. p56.
YOU etnte io p&w letter that his iraily 'stlm lima +a
Polk Oouat.J.B theseSore, 18 eaaaot bs stated as 8 rttor OS la+ that
the person la qaeetioa romow d. his met&mea Srom Polk Ooutif "? ~
thsreb7 runted his offloe.
.!Xt 18 a mwrr3. rule thnt ‘f8llare to qlvXiQ for 8a
otfloe rithla tb the preserlkd br 28~ does not of ltwlf
o r ea t*
l msaas7.w mamma ~s.amhm, 81 8.~. x237, W.
8ee ll8o~Temssavlspsdease f76.
Us qttate tbs follmllrg imm 54 Texas Jwlsprndease 375t
%ha Oowtltutloo kelmws t&t l fallare to aomply
rlth the nquinwnt thnt all sit11 oifloerr shall nslds
rlthin the State, rad all diltrlot or emat olfloers
rithin tbsLr dl8trlots or aollntlas,an4 Qll keep t&eir
o ffia es
lt suah pkees es ry be nQulred by low -11
raoste the oftlee so hold. This prorlslon Is mif-amcuti~
Hon. E. L. Hlnson, Jr, - page 3
and needs no &@3btiQS action to put It ilIt force
aa8 effect. Under it a county officer who rebmovesfrom
the ,county sad establishes a residence elsewhere thereby
vacatea his office, But absence from the State or in-
ability or ut~llliagness to perform the duties of the
off ice * or the mere absence of a county officer from
the county while lnvoluutarily In the lailitarg service
of the United St&em, without any shouiug QS to the pro-
b&h duration of his abnme, does not create a vacancy.”
See rlsot Cmvford ~8. S~unQers, 25 9. W, 102; Bamllton vs. King, 206
9. w. 953.
From 8 stud7 of the above cited authorit:es, it meems to be
settled In Texas that a vacanc7 Is not areated bg an offiaer’a absence
from the State or his lnablllt7 or unwllllngness to psrfon! the duties
Of hi8 OffiC8. In order to constitute an abendoment, there must be an
aatual or Imputed luteat on tho part of ths officer to relinquish the
off ice. 9tslngruber vs. City of Ssu Antonio (005. hpp.) 220 S. W. 77;
Horny vs. Qrahara, 39 Tex. 1; 34 Ter. Jur. 385.
Uuder the facts prsssnted, the person in question has been
and is working In HlesIssippl, but at the same time ha returns at inter-
vals to meet with the Commlssioners~ Court. Such facts do not show an
lntentlon to abandon the offloo. Therefore, It asnnet be stated as
a matter of law. that he has vacated or abandoned the office of County
Comslsslonmr .
It lo etated la 34 Ter. Jur. 511-513 1
?l!he ampnaatlori sttsohod to aa office belwa to the
persoa legally holding the offioe, for the tern ha may
hold it. His rl.ght to It attmhes as soon am hb takes the ,
a8th of office 6ud quallfles aoaordlllg to law, and ends 1
wheu his term ends, whether by expiration of $lme, death,
mslgrmt Ion, or lbollshaout of the offloq bf law. . .
“To entitle a person to redover the emoluments of an
off lae, he must show that he Is an officer de jure, that
the office has been Isg~lly arsated aud Is In existence,
and that he has been legally plaaed thereid and has a
legal right thereto. . .
‘The eslsr7 or emolumsats are Inaldent to the title of
the off fae and not to ita ocauzxt Ion or the Derformance
of offiairl duties. In order to recowr the-amount. the
offlaer Is not required to show that h ha di schsr@d
the dutIee of the off Ice) nor 1s he prkded f rom my
covering by the fact that he has been wrongfully deprived
Hon. E. L. IilUBOcl, Jr. - 'page 4
of the right to perform the oervicea, UP chat e.nother
persm has performed then." (Eiapbzsis aurs)
We quote the followin& from Beard vs. City or D~CXIELW,64
Tex. 7:
“To the person legally holdlne the offloe belong
the perquisltas and emollmaents attached by law to the
offlee, as fully 85 doe9 the office Itself. . .
0 the mfiry or emolument annexed to a public
off lce'l; keideat to the title of the off Ice and not
lo its 0aauEWtioP or exercim3. The people t
‘bulton, 2U Cal 44~ Fhe PeopZe, etc. va. iial*fit &al.
21; Mayor etc.’ vs. Woodward, 12 Heisk, 499; ‘&oll va.
Seibenthabr, 37 Cal. 195; Dolsa h-8.Mayor etc., 68 pI.Y.
275; Hoveany vs. zhe myor, 80 B. Y. 192; the Auditors.
eta. vm. Benolt, 20 Xlch. l91'. (Rnpheals oure.)
Ye quote tb8 follouiag from City of Xouaton vu. X&em, 79 5.1
848, error refuaedr
'CThat under them facts he beoame an offlat@ de jura
la mustained by the vblght of authority. . . lie was there-
after discharged vlthout ofause by one having PO authority
to oust him. . . The effort to oust him was a nullity, and,
his salary being an incident of the office his right to the
emolumentts did not detmnd on the perforamncc by him of
offlcl.81 service. ” ~.Emphesls ours)
32nae the person in qlieeation is aov legally holding the offlc
of Commissioner, on the baeie of the foregoing authorities Ye are farad
to hold that he Is entitled to the emolument8 incident to the offlmi
until hia term ends; vhether by expiration of tlm, death, reslgnrtlou
or rsmotal from office, and yvu are authorized to approve the plymeat (
UW. I
i
Section 24 of &tlcPle IT of our State Countitutiou provides:
“County Judgea, County At%ornegs, Clerks of the Diatrlct
end County Courts, Justicea of the Peace, Comtabka, +nd other
county officers miy be removed by: the Ju&zes of the Dlatirict
hrta for ineometency. off l.ci.al mlscondnot, habit-1 drunka-
-or other &uses hifined by Zau, upon the OIUM therefor
king set Sorth la vrltlng aad the flndlnfz of its truth by a
m. (Brpbsls our(I)
Hon. E. L. Hlnsoa, Jr. - Page 5
Article 5940, V.A.C.Y., provides:
‘All districtand county attorneys, county judges,
clerks
COSlUliSBiOlASl’S, of the district and county courts
and single clerks In counties where one clerk r?lscher&es
the duties of dlatrlct and oounty clerk, county treasurer,
nherlff, county aurveyoop, asseesor, collector, constable,
wattle and hfde inupector, justice of the peeae and all
county offlwre nov or hereafter existing by authority
either of the Constitution or &WE, may be removed from
offlae by the judge of the dLstrlct court for Lncompetencg,
official nlsooaduat or becorping lntoxlaeted by drlnkipg
1ntoxIcatIng liquor, as e beverage, whether on duty or not;
provided suoh offtoer shell not be removed for beoomlng
Intaxioeted vhen it appears upon the trial of such officer
that auah 1ntoxiortIon was produoed by drinking lntoxlcat-
lag lIquora upen the dire& Ion and prescript Ion of a duly
licensed practicing physiolan of this State. m
Article 5971, V.A.C.S., provides;
“In every mm of removal from office for the causes
nemed in the preoedIng rrtiole, the cause or causes thereof
shall be mat forth In vrItIngk and the truth 04 ss:d cause
or oauses bs fouad by a jury.
Article 5972, V.A.C.S., providesa
“By sinaompatenoyl as wed herein ia meant gross
lgnoraaaa of offiaLo1 duties, or gross ourelessm3w In
the dlsoharge of them; or an offlaer msy be found to be
incompetent vhen, by remon of sow mrioue physical or
merital dofeot, not existing at the time of hla electlon,
he has beoome unfit or usable to dlsoherge promptly and
proper4 the duties of his office. ” t
In the 09m OS Reeves vs. State, 267 S. U. 666, the Supraw
Court held thst “an actloo to oust A county officer for offlola als-
eon&at is for the benellt of the public atid mutat be oonduated In the
MW of the St&e of 4exae. and be represented by a county or district
albrney. m
The oaee of Mote ex rel DOVWI et al vs. Barney, 161, S. U.
2d 55, (wit refused) involved 8n action for the rfSIov81 from off ice
of the Sheriff of Yuew~ County. The Court, in reviewing the consti-
tutlouel lnd otatutcp-
_.. .~provisions above set out, made the follovlng
observatloar
nuu. n. 4. HUNO~, or. - Page 6
*we have washed the firm conclueion that the
contentions of the aherlff met be sustained; that thie
purely 10001 action to remove the Bherlif of lfueoea
Oounty uhould hew? been browbt. if at alf. by the aountg
or dlrtrlct attorney oi tlmt county. . . .
I . . . such aatlom as this may ba laatltuted 001~
-‘by the dlstrlot or sounty rttorne ndthat th 0 Attorney
Beae,ml alon osy not lnitlmte It 3 &ha810 ourrr)
IB v3.0~ OS the Ia our opl~oa
fongoirrg, It
that tha person
in qn48tion 8an only b4 removed, If all, bg a proper proceeding in
at
the Dlrtrlct Court brought by the aounty or dlatrlot lttor0ey. 'phi8
D8~rtl88Ut UUOt p;88 UpOR th. qU48tiOP Of Uh4th4r OF not t&Z'4 I8
oauem for removal, for au& pwstIon am only be Qotormlnod by the
dlatrlat Court lud the truth OS SId 08uaa la to be d4tOXmln8d by a
1-y a8 prarId8d In Art1al.a V, S8ctlon 24 OS our stat4 Oon8tltutloa
ana art1610 5971 OS our statukr.
Art1clc 2343, V.A.C.S., POVW8 t&t lrrjthne memb8rs of
th4 &8E8i48iOlWr8' COlDt, Inolutllng the county juQg8; ahall oonstltute
a Quorum Sor the tlPaaactlon of any bu8lfma8, excapt that of lavylng
acootmty tax.
IIiI ‘Vi4P 0s the fO~4egOing 8tEtUt4, it 18 UOt LMC4888uCy that
the Commls8Iouer in question be pr48oat at a mnotlng of the C0ma188101i
Court for wid aourt to tranrot bU4ine88. 8841 Racer v8. Btate, 73
8. w. 9681 Oobb and Gregory vs. Dl44, 203 8. w. 438; and mltotl 18. Al
110 Texan 68, 2l5 3. W. 439.
Artlola 6741,
V. A G. S., luthorlzoa the purcfuae or hire b
the C~Ia8lOMr8' Court Of %ll noa48nry road UChiWry, to018 or
to-81 m. . . 8uoh bbor a8 my ba mao8rry. . . to build or repnlr
the iOBd8.” mttor T8. 04Aoho oounty, 196 8. w. (a) 833, 835. n WI
b8 OOt4d tht 4U4h pOv4r F48t8 aOt VithIIIth4 indlrMPr1 CoS8Il8OiOlrsr
but with tho OaaPai88iOlWl'8' 00-t. YOU in tb4r4fo?4 ~rltlkoriz4dto.
approve lib pmymontof th4 utorirl , 8appli4raw4xp6a444 vhI& hv4
b0er.i lo@- o r dendOr luthorlmd b tb OoMI48lOlIOr8' Cool-t.
bxtiolo 6’IU, V.A&.&, pi’dcb~sc
'LIaept vhen road are employad, the
OO~iO8iOCWIr8
oounty aomlaaiocmrs aVl1 k
aupervl80ra OS publio Imad8
In their l'48p4OtiV4 OOUIiti4S, and eU!h COl8BiaeiOll4r
till
8Up4rVl~ thB public road8 Within hla a~i88i~Or8 pre-
oinot on44 oath month. 80 alnll alao mmkoa morn report
to oaah regular term of tb ommIsalonera court held la
hlr oounty during the y-r, ahouiags
.
Hoa. E. L. liinson, Jr. - ?8ge 7
"1, The aonditlon of all road8 Wad pErts of made
in hla preolnat.
"2. The oondltfon Of all oulvort.8and brldgpa.
“3. rphe -at O? UOmJ PO=ittiiag ill th4 hOti8 Of
owPooor8 oubjeot to k OX@.ndod ~a th. P-d8 WIthIn
hi8 proainat.
94. f h 4 WUb 8P Of li.b pOOt8 and finger bard8 64-
Sa44d and torn dam.
“5. Ybrt, ii rSJ, WV M&8 Of my klad 4hOU~ b8
op8nod in hlo pm0inat, urd vhat, lf m;l brldg,o, aulvwt8,
o r o th e riuprov4wto lr4 n444or~ to pt44 the romdo in
him pPB4iRBt iR #ld OOaditiOll lrrd thB PPO-b 404t Of 8U4h
laprovosrato~al00 th4 mm8 of *vary ovormor uho h8a tailoe
to vork ao. th. -6, or in ~~ nf Imglroted to prfom hi8
duty.
“8Af.d POpOPt Itu&& b4 B-6 llp4R thB UiRUt48 Of th4
oourt, to bs aoaBid4nd in -ora pub110 mad8 and de-
temlnl~ tha OmouOt of trmrs bvi4d thosefor.
It; 18 a goprrrl rule tlmt pnbllo dutima vhloh ~ulre the
ou?Uiw Of? -800 OP di44WtiOR W thB mrt oi th4 OffiCOr, OaSIRot b8
drlet@od bi tiio affi4.P. mu4 vs. hle ?Into &x&J, 71hr. 99, 8
8. Y. 634; 34 ‘rox. fur. 4%
It lo our apialoclthat dutl4o pawrorlkd by Artlo3.867l.3 lw
duties uhlah nqulrr th. 4~4Polw of m or aloontlcm on the port
of ttw 0ammI8oIomr, and h4 arrrnot lppolat morn to ast aa a-40+3 super-
vimor In his plroo.
In thio 4onn44tlon, 44 vl* to point out, howvor, t&t
&tide 6737, V.A.O.S., ruth4ri.040 tb Qcuioaiorwro' OouPt to ml07
not lx444dw mur (I) ma6 maioilbps. lut~iou 6738, v.A.c.B.,
4am8mat40 the pcnroPo.amd (rtloo Of lne h
r 4 8do~I88IoR4ro. ArtIol4
6743, v.A.~Q.S., aothorium t& QamUioioruro* Oolvt to appoint a raad
8IrpPiotWbtint fOf th4 OOlantJOP a
U& 4alo#lOE4r 0 pnela4t. ~~~~7~~~~~~~f'L:~~~td",'tho
pouora aod dut%48 of 8tNh rord rUp@P%ZitOtiat.
aa4 above nntloaod Artiol.48 road a8 foll048r
Qrt. 6737. ;rBplomnt
%88h OOmiOliOluP8 OOUFt n7 4~~x07 not 4xa44ditAg
Non. 6. L. Hinson, Jr. - Page 8
four road commissionera, rho shall be reaideat cltieens
of the diatrlct for which they are employed, snd uhen
more than one is employed, the di8triCt that each reed
cornmlsaioaer la to control ahell be defined and fIxed
by the court. Such road coamLs8l.onera Bhall receive such
compensation aa may be agreed upon by the aourt, not to
exceed tvo dOllJD8 per dEy for the time 8ctwlly engaged.
Each road commlaeiotaer shall first execute a bond, pey-
able to the county judge of the aountg and hI8 8ucces8ora
In office, In sureties, to be approved by the county judge,'
and conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties."
"Art. 6738. Povera sad duties
“A rood comml88loner 8hall have control over all
overaeer8, hands, tOOl8, ImChiMWy and teaIXI8t0 be used
upon the road8 In his district; and may require ovorwers
to order out hand8 In any number he mey designate for the
purpose of openlug, vorklng or repairing road8 or buildings
OF repairing bridges or culvert8 In his district. He ahell
we thet all rOad8 and bridge8 In hi8 district are kept in
8008 ropeir, and he 8hal1, under the direction and control
of the commisalonercr court, inaugurate a system of grading
and draining public roada in his district, and me that
8Uch ayatem is oarried out by the overaeera and handa under
hi8 control, and ahall obey all Order8 of the caamniaslonera
court; and he ahell be naponslble for the safekeeping end
liable for the 1088 or de8tructlon of all atachinerg, toola
or teams pieced Under hla control, unless 8uch loss la uith-
out hl8 fault, and when he shall be dlaaharged he shell
deliver them to the peraon designated by the CoUrt."
“Art. 6743. Appolntlncat
I
"The aommIsaioaer8 court of any county subject to thI8
law umy appoint a cOinpete& person as road superintendent
for such county, or one 8uah 8uperintendent in each cam-
miselonera precinct, a8 it shall deteralne by an order made
at a regular term thereof. Such order shall be entered on
the minute8 of 8UCh Court, and shell not be void for want of
form, but a aubatont Ial complInnce with the provlslona of
this subdivision ahali be 5UffiCIent. Every road SUperinten-
bent ahall be a qua1Ified voter in the county or precinct
for vhich he ia appointed, and 8hall hold his office for two
years or until removed by the commiaaioner8 court for good
CBUbB. No county shsll be under the operetion of this lam
whose commlaalcuera court doea not appoint a road superin-
tendent or superintendents."
. -
Hon. E. L. Kinson, Jr. - Page 4
“ht. 6746. Pouers
“Sub ect to the orders of said oourt, eaah superlnten-
dent shal i have general supervisloa over all public roads
of his county or preoinot, and shall superintend the laying
out of nev roads, the making, changing, vorklng and repalr- ,
Ing of roads, and the building of bridges except vhere
otherwise contraoted, and over all county convicts worked
on such roads, but this shall not. prevent the commissioners
court from employing a person to vatoh and msnage such con-
victs and direct the work to bs done by them. Said road
superintendent shall take aharge of and bs responsible for
the safe-keeping of a11 tools, psohlnery, implements and
teams plaaed under his oontrol by the comsissloners oourt
and execute his receipt therefor, vhleh shall be filed vith
the county clerk. Be shall be liable for the loss, Injury
or destructlou of any suah tools, team8, Implements or
maohinery unless such loss oooured vlthout his fault, and
for ths vrongful or ‘improper expendftun of any road funds
oomlng into his hands. On leaving office, he shall dellver
all such money and property to suah person as the commls-
sioners court may direct. ”
It will be noted that the employment of rosd commissioners
or road superintendents is left to the discretion of the Commlsslonerst
Court and not to the Inddivldual Commlssloner.
SUNMARY
(1) Under the faots submitted, the CommIssloner of
Preoinct 1 of Polk County 1s still a resident of Poti
County and IS nov legally holding the offloe of Comsls- I
sloner and 1s entitled to the emoluments Incident to the
off loe until his re slgnst Ion or ramoval from off ice by
proper proceedings. Artlole V, Seat Ion 24 of the State
Constltu3oa; Artloles 5940, 5971 aad 5972, V.A.C.S.
(2) The power to purchase road machinery aad supplies
rests not vlth the individual County CossslssIoner, but vith
the Commissioners’ Oourt, and only 8 quorum is necesssry to
trananot suah business. Artlolem 4343 and 6741.
(3) A County Conmissioner aannot appoint another to
act as road supervlsor ln his place. Road Superintendent 8
Hon. E. L. Blnson, Jr. - Pa@ 10
or Bond C8oPllmsle~~rsDMQ be appointed only
Comsiooiomrst Court. Articles 6713, 6737, ?&8fjne6743
and 6746.
Youra VOFJ truly
JRzdjr