Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATI’ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUST’IN m5. Jallle O'xsal County Auditor carnon county 3+ulhandle, T'ei+% l%ar :~adaill: Your latter 'ioh of ti& ~epktment .r0iior5i c fee& of the t&y. ySOO.VV per ha Comalissloncirs he County Judge ollthly nt 815V.vv and all tha fees turn in to~the County sny 9xc688, feea uhould' be more than the. Carson Count.y~ha.8a ~opulatlon of 6,563 inhabItant aocording to the 1940 ~%3aral~Cantua. l'he aounty officials br sa'd countg~ are oompen86ted on b) ftPe basis. f ~?Zrar. -til.3.10 O*#eel, page 2 '~.:rtlcls SW33, Vernon.8 hrinotcted CIVIL S.atutas, reads In pnrt as followr: n?xcopt ac ot>crwlee provided la tt‘.fe:ct, the annual foes th?t o?sy be z+A.rrIcsdby precinct, county and dietrfct offloere metitlonsd in tk:i:i Article shall bs as tollowe: . *County Clerk, County httorney, i;lstrlct clerk, 7% : Colleotor, Tax .r.baeenor,or the lmessor and Col- Iectof Taxa5, Twenty-four Eundmd ($2400.00) 301- . .1ar6 each; JlWtiCe Of the t’e6Ge all6 G'OESti;tl~, Tweloi Hundred ($1200.00) DolJare eaoh. R * . . . . mtlole 3891, Feinon's Llrlotatad-Civil stitutss~~~ ‘&ovidea in part .a8 follow5: “Faoaah. offloer.wed .&athld ~ChsptdPshaii Llw$ti ori‘bs,Wt:..Or ~tiI~;tWXZ5~t tiid 'thi .r8qit.Ofhl6. Off&~ amoPrrt all*d"‘h~,'.-&ir $fA#r &- ..@.&. viaiooe of~rrtiole ?iE@J,~~together~5th the-Sal-. ai-let.or .bieaasis.tauts and deputiee, and atitlior- .ized expense under ~rtiulo 5899' an6 the~tiount .&caasary to oover 00&s of gren&a~on ofhat&fer swety bond xay be SE ulrsd .bbyiaw. If the pur- .retitrees of ri-~oh.drr P 08 eoll~eufsd 1.h any year be more than the antount nwdud to pay the euzounts above speoirled; .aame shall be deemed erects Isea, aad shall bs dli?~passd. of in the aanner hexshatter provfded. *In,&unties aontalnlng twenty-ilvs thouaiand (25,000) ox less inhabitants, VI&riot aad CinIMy .s.. officers wed herein aEal1 rotala one-third of 2. suoh.exoaks rsss until ~1200 one-thbl, tog&he; with tb,amounta speoifisd in Artiole S&S,. ae%zun'$a to Thrq Thousand ~ol.larr (gZ,VOV). Freolnot of+..,' rhr6 shalLretain one-t?~ird until euoh one-third; ~t.Li&-t!mr tith the amount gprolfl.ed in artleh 3BBS,. amounta to lqurtean Xundred Sol&z-e (.$14OC). ’ e. . . .“’ (..’ . Exrr.Willie O'Neel* paga 3 I. ..-. Article 3896, Vexnon's Annotated Clvll F.tetutes, r&at8 a~ ~013 O& : "Ibe Comlselonere* Court Is bereby aebsrrwl iron allowlng aompeneatlon for sr-0rffci0 service8 to cainty officials when the coicpsnsation en2 ex- cess fees which they are allowed tc rata13 shall reach the nsxlmmprovlded for in this ohayrter. In cases were the cmpensation an& exoess fess whloh the officers am +llowsd.to retqln shall not .* . reach the'matium prorlaoa for in this chapter the Cammia~lonkrs~ Court .uhall allcw.conpeas&on. for ax-oiilolo se.svloes w&an, la their Judgewe, dtieh oomgeri5ation 2s ziecasaafy, provided, suoh compensation for.ex-officio .servloes allowed &all not 2ncreare the crompencation of the official be- ~yowl the iaazlsiamof osmpeasatlon ana.ero,ess rpes. allowed t.a bezetidqed by him under th%s ohepter. " ~roridad,~howevir,:~he 8%~officio hersin.authorlred shall be allowed ~only aft&r 80 opportunity for a pubZi0 he&r%ng,end oiily upon.the aff&aatl.ve vote ._ _.~: ,...ai ,.at. Atmat 'cMIs;*:. three..'~wharq .... ,.. ;. ,.:,. _. ,.. ....~9Ct~fa. .:..I,. ;;... :.; ,~~aslo.4erp,~. ....: ,.~. ~., .- .~~ ~, ,. _~, .,' .. ” .. Under iirtiole'$88S 'and Artlole J891,.sp@a,.the niathum 0ompensatloa end the exoe8a feaa ali0wfta to be re- tained by the County Judge of Carbon.C&mty 1s $3,000.00 per mr. Fnen the bxr+i3nsatlop and 8x0888 f5ea.allowedby' these statutea do not exoeed th~,aaxinu?.ncom.+matloa and : 4x044s feds proYlded,therefnP then by virtue .of :irtlcl&t.S895, aupra, the Ccraaiaslo.nera*Carvt- Is authorized to alloweon+ pmsatioo for,ex-orri~io ssrvioa8 in any amoimt,’providei%.the oosi@nsation r0r a-0fri0i0 sbrvicea together with the compen- sation sad excess. r0as tdibw~a by the foreRolne ststutee do not exceed the a~xlmum of ~3~OOO.C0. In other'worde, ia com- pllanoe witA httl~Le'XS5, qupxa, the Comtlssioners* Court is authorized to~ellow any amount as compenoatlon for ex- orflclo services when suoh mount sbslf not.l?.cieaes the .com- '. pensntloa of the off&cial beyofid the mximtm 0: aompensati.on end excess fess a$loiweS to be retelnad by the offiobr under t.heloregoln~ statutes. (m3 'JecrtloalT2, ?~xae~ Jurisprudenoe~? Vol. 34 m&r the title of mblic Gffioars and the 0~8s Of irnderson County v. %o;rklns, 187 2. F. 1019); Tt 38 noted Wet. you stat8 in your letter that the rss6 0r the county aubee amount to epproil~tltely .$300.00 per .: 1 . year and thst the' Gommlsslo~ers~ Court has allow& the amount of $150.CG as ooirpenurtion for sx-offlclo servloes per month or :1.,800.00 per year. i%ler the fects otateQ the fma snd coxpensatlon for ex-orfiolo services reoslved by tbe county Judge are wfthln the marlsma amount thrt oan be legally re- tsltied by.hlm. Therefore you nre rcopactrully aavi8ed that the Coucty judge oan legally retain his compe~wtlog for er- .d$:olo earvims SUB above laeatlonet nnz? the fees'r~~oelvetlby iirt~e of. b.38 0rriO0. 23 otksr words the County ;iud~c oan retalp.all reap reoe+reC by hilil t?y drtue of hia 3ftSce and 3he 31.8GG,M) oommieation for ex-cffloio services. vrovide6 the ~ibkpensatlon?or .6x-offlalo'servloes &s&her 6lkh the cof>enaetior end lxcssd fess allowed by lem do not exkea the n&xlmum Of $3,C!GO,OOper yaar.~ i , . 1. ‘. .