OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honorablr Tom A, Craven
County Auditor
-&y-QQuw
,
Dear slrr
TOWnqw3t r0r 0
fully ooneihred bythis de
qunt a8 r0110wr:
atantiallr as r
oleoted and
and the salary mt
r hle sertlaes as
r preolnot orriioero in
emall diatriota, to sop-
ofal inooars with earnings de-
ormental aotirltler, and we
int in regard to adbitional
t 0r th0re preelaot orrfoerr (10
thesreslrer ataileble 8t alI
r orrioii duties might oome up.
91 &all thanr fou to adrim I&Owhat, in your
opinion, fr ttm rerponsibflit~ c& a 00aaty auditor
in oonneotion with the approval or a olain ior the
peynmt or salary or a oonstable who abeanbs big-
aelf rrom his preoinot in the employ of a Railroad
a8 outliaed abovb.
Honorable Toa A. Cratea, Page 2
Tha aonstabla In qurstloa has applied to tbs
oamds~ionerr’ aoart for udhorlty to name a deputy.
U&or ordinary WmditioM 00 deputy oonstablo in
this praolnot is requimd me the reason fer the
request is obvious rroa the oI?aunstanorr outllllbd
above. In hi8 applloatlon to the oommlssl0aers*
court he nda no mntlon or the malazy to br pai4
th e4 o tya ud it islssumb that It WORM bo him
lntoat!on to pay the 40 ty out or his oompmlsatlon.
The o~mmfsal~~rs~ oour r has not yet aetod on this
lQQlIaatlon.
*Am a guide to Y, in th elvent a olak ls
flied for a salary Of ths aoastable while thr oonr
stable 1s oporati as explalnod aboro and riorms
hls dutlrs a8 oom?a ble through l do p o ty OS"d b r
the ooaetablo, I &all tkmk you to advise m whothor
or not the oemmf#aioner8* oowt would hate tho au-
thority ta make an a%=raz@emnt dth a oonstable
uorhla6 un4rr a 88lary paid by thr oouaty and his
dutles delegated to a deputy paid bt the oonstable
hired to do the work ap the oonstable while %he oon-
stab& 18 out o? the praolnet engagrd in other om-
ploymsnt .”
sootion 17 0r mAal 39320, Vernon*8 Atmotat0d
Texas Olril Ststates, prorfdOat
*(a) The term ‘Preolnot orrloors* a8 used
In this Aot means jUstIOe8 Or the peaoe and eon-
stables.
‘In all oounties in this Stat. suoh praolnot
orrloers shall OontInw to be aomgensatsd ror
their senloes on a r00 baslr until the OommIs-
sionerr* Court r&l1 have 6otermIned oth~rrlso
in aooordanoe rdth tha provIsIon 0r SeatIon 2 or
this Act.
“Ia oountlerr whonin tb Comaisololurs* Court
shall hatr dotoalnad that prsolnot orrlosrs shall
be oompensatsd on an annual lalary barrIs, but rhoroln
they hate doterminod that county orrioerr #hall not
br so oompensated, the OfrIOers’ Salary Rind or ~a16
Honorable Tom Aa Craven, -0 3
oounty ahall 80 oapoaed au3 mudo up or rem, oaa-
missiona and other oompensatlon oolleoted by the
preoinot orr5.oars 0r ruoh 00untl sod aOp08ikd in
said fund, and luoh funds as ray be transrrrred ta
cmld fund by the ConulIssloners~ Oourt oi tho oountr.
.,(a) fn ooPntles where it shall hare beon
dotormined that preolnot otfloors shall be oonpamat-
ed on an annual sal.ary basis it shall br tbodutE
or the c0ti~d0~rd cf00rt or 8aah 00~
the l alary allowed to suoh orrio~rs. ho T o? seld
offloors ahall bo paid in wnoy finennual salary in
tW.lte (1.2) equal lnstnllmuts of not leer thaa the
lei oomponsat%on la r n8dbf him 5.n
to ta lnun ea r no d
his offioIa1 8apaoity for the flsoal ymar 1935 Md
not aore t&n the aaxlmm tbn0tuht nu0~04 u0h 0rri-
oar under law8 rtistlng Au&u& 2b, 1935.
“In oountl.8 fn uhloh praolnot offloora an
paid a salary ao oompensatlon for their servloos,
auoh OftIoer@ deolrind to appoint one or wra deppa-
ties or assIstants shall make applloatlon to the
Comnlss~oners~ Court for authority to appoint suoh
deputy o,r deputies, In the fnanaer and iors pro-
soribed ror applIoetlons r0r 4 utf oounty orif-
oem by Artlole 3902, Revised 0“pvll Statutes 1925,
as awndad within thr prorfsIoos oi this Aot) the
Oommlssloners~ Court ehell not author120 the rppofnt-
nent or any deput oonstablo at a salary eroeedlq
FIrteen Hundred ( Ii1500.00) Dollara per year* The
salarler or deputies authorized to be a pointed un-
der the provIsions of this Seotlon shal P be pai out
or the Orrloers~ Salary Fund.
*In ts0unties wherein the oounty orrioere name4
In this Aot are oompensated on thr besle or an an-
nual salary, the State ot Texas shall not be ohargut
with and shall not pay any to0 or ao8unIaelon to any
preolnot oirlobr ror any rsrrloss by him perrormed,
but said orrher ahall be paid by the Oounty out of
the orrioers’ sn3.a ?une suoh rr08 and aosn8fsslons
a8 WOUM otherwlao 3 (I paid him by the Stat0 for auoh
servIoe8.a
Roaenbla Tea A. Oravon, -0 41
Artlob 3902, Vornon.8Annotated Teoar Civil Stat-
doa, provldosla part as follas:
Whoawot any ef8triot, oouaty or proolnot
0rrioOr 0hnn require tat080n:008 or ebpati08,
asels&nts or alorks in the porfoz7smo* 0r his
eat108 h0 8haU 8pply to wm County Qomlsslonors~
Wart of his ooanty ior authority to 8ppolnt 8uoh
40puti88 ls8isto nts or olorks, rtatlw by ffOrn
l
pplloatfon the number maded, t& posltlon to
br flllad ard
the moan8 to be paid. Said appli-
rationshaU bo aooorpanled by l r ta to wn% showing
the probable rooolpta from ior8, aomIsaions and
oompansatlon to be oolle~t~d by mid orfloe 4pYiw
tha rlsoalyear and the probable dlsbur8emnt8
whloh shall Inoludo all ralarlo8 and lxpansss or
aeid orrloq and ~14 sourt shall stake its order
lutho~slag thr appointmsat 0r sooh 40ppati08,ar-
8f8tant8me 050m1~le rizth0 oaap0110a011 to b0
paid thssi rlthln tha 1lmItatlons herein prrsorlb8d
and dotersUe ths niusbsr to be apppoloted as in the
dlsoretlon of said oourt nny be propert provId6d
that In no o&m shall the Cosmlsslomrs~ Court or
any member thereor attempt to Influ~oo the appolnt-
mant or any parson as depaty, assletant or olerk
in MY orrlor. Upon the entry of suoh ardor the
offloors applyling ror sooh asel.sttmts, dsputlos or
alerts shall be authorltod to appoint them; provided
that said aompansatlon shall not erased the maxlmum
amount heroinafter set oub. The oompensatlsn whIoh
may be allowed to tha daputles, a#sIstantS or olerks
above ntuwd for their earvIoss shsll be a reasonable
one, not to Oxoemlthe rommlng aaounts~
”
l*...
You am respaotfally adtlerd t&t under thm iaotr
stated by you It Is tha opinion of thI8 dspartmmtr
1. The oonrteblr is ontitled to raoslra his salary
and you should approve Herr salary rmrantr as long a8 ha holds
hi8 0rrf0h
2. Under ArtIolo 3902 V. A. 0, S., It tha oonstable
deslnr a deputy he Is required &i rile with ths oommf8s1on8rs~
Toa A. fJraron,
Lloaorablo Pa&o 5
oofprtna applicationfor lathmlty to appoint a8 outlinedby
the Artlolo4 m OOiUfS8fOoIuF8’ MUFt 4, if it do&or,
( I mth
t 0luthoF:ty urd ti#OOOt bh8 O&h- Or th0 dOUe
dthla tha st~8utory limit, k bo paid oat of the Otf POON
s8l4ry mfbe 0r tho oouatyi
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion