Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATI-ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN I- GCMLDC- -- I n dapaztmtmtr allowed i '%onorablo0. J. Wild*, p8ge 2 _: 8enorable C. J. Tilde, page 3 "In other mrda, oould the Oommirsionua Court under the salary law pay the Chiai Daputles the $900.00 per'amum in addition to their regular oampeaaatia baaed 03 the last praoeding Federal CansusPa Bor oonvenifmoewe quote cot only 3eotion 4a oi j&rCiole 3902, v. A. c. s., but Seotion 4 6180, as r0ii0w8t *AFtlole 3908. Seation 4. Iu ooun’tleshaving a population0r sixty thouaaud and 0ne ((10,001)me not sore than one hundred thousand (100,000)ihhabltantr, first aerlataht or ohlef deputy not to sxaaed lWenty- row Hundred ($8400)Dollar8 per anaum; Other a8riatant8, deputlas or olerk6 not to exaead Twaaty-onaRundred ('#2100.00)Dollar6 psr anma eaoh. Waotion 4a. In 00miO8 hayins &:gopulation or dxty thousand and one (60,001)and not roro thaa ona hundred thousand (100,000)inhabitants aooorrdls(g to th8 pra0eehg Feeual mmu~ and 00ntiaLtaga arty Or not leas than riftpa thousand m,ooo) iahabf- iant8 lcoordln~ to the prsoedihg Fedaral Canau8,,head8 of deprtmmts say be allowed by the Ooemi8sion~e Court, when in their judgment auoh allowable ir jasti- fled, the sum of Two Hundred Dollars [c@OO) per wnum in addition to the amount hereinbefore,authorisadto either First Assistant or Chier Deputy, or other Aasi8t- ants, Deputies or Clerks, when suoh head0 or depaytnenta am&t, to be appointed shall hays &xrerloualyramad the oounty or political rubdirielonthsreor ror riotlee8 than two (e) oontlnueusyeam, provided no heads oi dapartwnts shelf be M?oatad exospt where the persona sought to be appointd.shall be in aatual oharga of ROQC department, with Deputies or Aarlstant8,undar his Oup~rviaion,or a deprtnlsnt a;-proved by the ocwrt, and only In 0rric90 capable of a bana rid8 subdivisioninto departments. &I added Lots 1937, 45th Log., p. SESl, oh. 290, ( 1." We think tbc anewer to your question in in the negative for the reason that Section 4a, supra, sems to provide for "he&s of departmente,Ra different offt'oaor goeitlon from that of First Assistant or Chief Deputy. fjf mmorable C. J. Villas,pa@ 4 mis oonetructionis borne out by the faot that Artlola .I 890&i,.eupra,merely provides a mximum salary of ~$2400. zFPFG;;t Assietaht or Chief Deputy, WA a maximum salary each iOr other assistants,deFUtie8 or olerks per"ann~& in thocsecountlea embraaed in the brackets speoi- iled. Seotion 4 of Artiole 3902 is mended by edding Section 4a, which provides for another higher ranking position,nazIeIy,*heed8 of de_rartznente," and rlxinC their marinuumsalary, in auoh aouaties as are emmerateb in Seotion 4 of Artiole 3902, having a oity therein of 58,000 population,aoaording to the preaediqq Pederal Canaua. A First Asslatantor Chfef Deputy, as euah, oannot get more than the maximm of $24CO., provide6 for in Seotion 4 of Artlola 3902, and thr amxdmeat, by adding Seotion 4a, dous not help bsaause it does not apply to then, but applies only to "heads of departments,Ha a.epa- rate po8itlon altogether from that OS Chief C1er.kor Chief mputy. If this be true, and 111) think it is, then the Commiselonera~Court of Hueoee County oannot inorsaae the pay of a Chief Dsputy~#WC. over that provided in Beation 4 oi Axtiole 5902, for the aimple reason that a Chier Deputy does not oome uh&ar the proviefona of -3eotion 4a, the amendmentwith whioh we are hero conosmed. ?ðer Section 4a of Artiale 3902, V. A. C. 9., is oonotftutionalneed not be ahsmreU, ami we refrain rr0m eqrreaein3en opinion on its conetitutionelity. Ve merely hold that the position ES OhhlM Dewty, oonoernSag which you inquire, Is not covered by said Seotion 4a at Axtiole 3902, and thererora in no event wald the salery of Chlsf Deputy be lnereeaed by thu prooleionaof said areotlon. Poura very truly EX'? hSSISTANT ATTOFU?EYG?iWUiAL