Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE AITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN 1 be Usble.for oie hali- the aourt when thi.deSen-1 and lays his fine~out ifi . . if&on apply to the the psaae wl@ah erq . . a 1058 ‘or 5ald cotte,~ or is the ,: e f uli amount OS snah t em. bven b his fine and lkys,hla I mBrief on 3eoond Queetlonr "&&are no oases Upoz this point, and it is' entirely 8 matter of reaaoning~froxr.the atetutee.: 2haever, it in mg o_ol.nionthat the aounty is ,ltible .: I . 1 c. - 361 Tfiem~ba.. Blantooi Jr., page 8 ror the full umouub of the t444 grorided ror in Artiale lOl% when the defsndaat lay4 hi4 tin4 out, bsowtne th~4 firat~esnt4n44 of Art&ale 10% 44e~ t4 shim that that ertiof.e ooald not apply to the fee6 provtd4d for in Artiol4 LO58 tithaut nullifying the tarmu of Artiole 1068 in 08444 vh4z4 the.defmbant pay8 his ?iue. It deema t,hst the t44s intendsd to be lffeat4d by Art1010 1055 as?4 on.lg tho4e fbr vhirh the dofemtaat In a alimlnal a&ion 14 liable, slid that this artlolo I8 not intended to affeat Co48 vLlal=ars the primary obligation of the aounty. ?Doe.s the C~~~~f#~louor’(~~ Couch oi 8haokelford County hats the authorlliy k, allor, la o hoommlorioxmr a aonthly.allowan0e af &%I.54 for 4atcmyblle lxpsJi44* haurrad in ~uparvtslng eoy.aty ~made, aalb oounty haiing a populatlrm of .b,Zll, and 4~ aa8essed raloa- tlon of about ‘~7,000,000, 4nd s6Jb ooami~~lanors r444ltin5 a regular eilary of Ql;4GQ p4r annti for th4ir ebrriaen as OoIrimimi-Cmsr? *%rhf on Third Qmstionr 'So ~axprerraauthority tar suoh an allmwmoe ap- pears ln the atatutar. Eowbver, drtials 2261 ohargon oodBsfoner8 with laylw out, rstablirhlng, oha~&ing and diecontinuing publia roads and highways, with buildif@,bridg44 and koepin& t&m in r4p4ir', aad with exeralsfng gsnaral crontrol ovsr ,131 roed4, hi$hwara, f4rri44 %ad bridges fa taefr oowsti4s. It appears that the commi44lon4r4 should bs reimbursed tor ex- ~~#JeB ~sCuTI'4d in the tJXOr@iB4 ot euoh duties, a@ that there *itadd be an implied aushqrity ?or an Qllov- an84 euoh 48 the on4 in'qusstion. "Z'ourth qUSB$iOIl: “DOt3B * Court the &mJtIi!N4iOn~r6 hOv4 the authority to employ 4tenographioe~ help rea8ouubly nooessary in sh4 diroharg6 of It4 duties, md peiy fir same cut of the fUndB Oft tact O$?+ty? r -. 262 Bon. Thomaa L. Blantoa, Jr., peg4 S *In ahaptsr g of title 44, the &mmIsnloners* G,ourt Ia &Yen a numb4r of duties MxIohtcday ma- a,aaarIly ,Invulve a larg4 amount ~of stenographical work. xhe statute doea not exprsealy airo the Con- mIaaioxmra* Court the authority to 4mpioy a .sten+ &mpher to 60,thiB work. JJow4v4r, BIa4B steao@YIphI- osl help Is .reasonably neoeaaary to carry out tie 4xpreaa prOti$ioru of the atatut4, it smear8 tlist the OoinmisrrlonerafCourt would have an Impll4d authority to employ auoh a BtsnogrBph4r, and to pay her out of.th4 oounty fuhda.4 This fiopartmut has repeatedly rulwl that Justio4s oi the P4a44 and County Judges In tse oouhtisa lra entitled to tL4.r full fses from the uouhty uhdsr Artiol4 lOS%, 0. C. i., for eaoh oLrImIaal aotion tried aud finally dlapoeed of by tima, regardl4aa or the method of aatlafaotfon of the fine and uosts. Pi4 sn4iose h4rsvIth a copy OS opinion No. O-610 of thi8 ik- p8rta14nt ror your Iniormatlon. It Is our opinion that you have corrsotly ansrered tb4 B4OOnd quemtion. ussume that your county operates under the .reaersl ii;s road law and vb bass our amv4r to your third cpestion upon that assumptlou. g!his 24prJrtnienthas rep4atsdly rule& that in countIss cperetiing under the general road law .that the uombmloners* court has no authority to allow, eaoh ooumiaaIonor 4 aonthly allovanoe for automobile sxpon~ea inaurred in supenlsiug oounty roads. For your Information w4 enclose herawith coplsr of op&nione 30s. O-3119 and 0-75E of this Department. Your third question Ia, therefor4, answered in the nsgtlive. Xt is fundarmntal law that tbe conmIaaIoners' court 28s only suoh authority 88 Is conferred upon It by the Cxx8titutiM and 8r;atutse of thie State, eIth+r ep4cifIcally or by scces~ary Impliuation. 'F-I@ have been unable to find any express or inpliod authority which vrould authorize the comIssiomrB* aourt of your oouaty tc employ a stenographer. 363 HOP. Thoavls L. BluIton, fr., pge 4 To,ur r0urth qoeatlon fs, thersfors, anspered In the negatitcr. Very tna1y yours BY FIRST AzSIS?AXT ‘C ATTORNEY GENEFiAL