318
Eon. R. L. Armstrong
1 County AudStor
b Tom Green county
San Angelo, Texas
Dear Sir:
Opinion No. O-75ll
99: Authori~;~ of the Cadssioners’
court to appotit an assistant
&x?=y ;;tt.trney io aeeist the
, Cow&y kttomey ln the general
erformme of hk duties other
5han the proseautkn of tax
miits, end related que6tions.
'i% have.&%ven cam&al consideration to pour letter of
November 14, 1946, requeetiug our answer to the following questions:
.. :
Does the Caawissioners9 Court of !Z'oloGreen
Qnmt~%e the autharity to a pclzt.zn assistcurt
: _L &ms@y Attotiey~'to aasl,t #a E-ounty Attorney in tha
. genwal pecforaaace ef his d&leg, ether than the pre-
o4outionaf tax 6altB?
.(a. Is it the obligation of the County tc pay
the premkti on the bond of such Assis'taG County Attorney?
. If ymw answer to q7 first question 1s An th
*w.
afflrsstive, what are the stiq linits for such...agsistsnt L
and cut of what fund should'the s;ae be @d?"
Artlcla 3902;V.P.C.S., provides in part 66 fotiowsi
%henever any district, co?rrtp or precir.ct officer
shal2. requke the services of deputies, assfstants or
clerks iu the perfomancc of his &atlas he shall appl to
the County ComAasioners' Court of h5.s county for ant Ko-
rity to apyoint such deputies, asslstmtt or clerks,
stating by sworn application the number needed, th* posi-
tlo;l to be filled and the miouat to b6 paid. iiaid
a pllcatlon shall be accompanied by & statment shwdng
t &e probable receipts from fees, comrAsions and compen-
. 319
Bon. R.L.Annetroag-P-2
ration to be collected by said office during the fiscal
yeer cud the probabledirburreaents
which#hellinelude
all ralarierur4 mpenees of raidoffloe; and said court
ahall .&co its order authoriaing the appointment of such
olerks and fiirthe compensation
the limltatione herein prescribed
to be ap*ted as 9.21the dlsore-
tlon ef et&d 8ourt may be proper 8’ ovided that in no
base shallthe Cor&ssionere’ Colx or any memberthereof
attemptto innuenoe the ap intment of any person as
deputy assistant or clerk iz any office. U,pon the entry
or BUdl order the officers appi q for such assistants,
deputier or clerks shall be auti?orieed to appoint them1
provided that said compensation shsli not exceed the
t+eclmm amount hereinafter set out. ,The compensation
which may bo allowed to the deputies, assistants or olerks
a-8 named for their services shell be a resoonable one,
tit~tolxaeed the foIlowIng amountsi , , ;”
The unambf.guouo lsnguage contained in the foregoing Article
without question empowers 6he County CommWionerr* Court to authorize
l&c pasty .,Attornby to a point JU assistant Count httcwney who, upon
taking the cofl@titut10 n&J o&h of offlce,is slot ned with ail the
ra and grtbority.of
the CouutyAttorney.~ Art.
~-See 331,Uerieeti
E")
t~a ta ,s
l ~fwe, we havc.uuiwered
yourMret quesC%onia,the
#lemmaum* -
$ec. (b) of Article 3899, Y.A,C.s. , from which we quote ih
pert,r&ads as foUow6t
.
in Ws Act, wh&e he receiver
a salary as compensation for h&s servic~e, sh+l. be
'entitled &nd permitted to purchase or charge to his -..’
* county al?. reasonable expenses necessary in the
- hitd..legal eonduut of hit offlce, pmlws en of fr c%~e
-bonds,prer@m en fire burglery, theft robberyinsur-
ance pro$ecting; public&de, end Lnclud&$ the cost of
suretybonds for his deputies. . ."
Thus, &en offiaial bonds are required to be executed by
deputy or a&&ant ccunty officitis, the county is liable for the pre-
mium expense involved tf;erein. Rowever, we know of no law requiring.
e.n assistsnt County Attorney to execute an official bond. Therefore,
we answer your second question in the negative.
0011~ 8. L. Armstrong - We 3
,
Article 3902, Section 3, V.A.C.S., prorfdeet
"Ir: countfes having a population of thirty-sewen
thousand Biro hundred aud one (37 501) and not UOIWthen
thOUSarrd
(&,(xX))
inbabitads,fiI'St
a68il$tWlt 0~'
dep uty
no tto lxGeed Twwaty-03le sllmdred (i2lm.00)
per amum other aarlstants de tits ew clerks
nmt~e~leed El&en liundred (#ldOd# Dolhra .F
. Provided that nothiq- in this Act ahaft be
oonnstrued LB repeali% 0~ affeS5.y; Sx%S.x 2 of H. 8.
Nor 6% Chapter 315,Acts 1935, Forty-fcwth Legislature,
pace 72i.a
Soction~9of Xrtiele 3902,mqma, authoriece the Co*unty Con-
eireuwtanceo, to increase the aora en-
clerkin the additional amount no e to
of the a&~ allowed under the lawfor
mmpensetion authori\(ed
ZLc?not exceed f43600.00.
.
Tp~&,iw that the foregoing will be of assistance to you, we
remain
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion