739
OFFICE OF THE AITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honorable Alan R. Freeer, page R
the law will permit it to be.
"f apologize Sor the brief but there ap-
peera to be no aatms where this queetion has
been rafoed end I hare merely eet forth what
rrtatuteaappear to b8 in point.'
Pureasnt to the requirements of the Constitu-
tion (+wie vn1, seC!tiOnB 14 SAtId 16), p~O?fEiiOtI 10 mad8
$n the tax Stetute for the eleatloa at the regular bi8nnial
ol8otlon in eaoh county having 10,000 01 mom inhabltentr,
of an aeaeemor end Oolleotor of taxes who shall hold hi8
ofiloe Sor two yeere, that ie to say,:onder the Aot of 1933,
th8 prevlourly separate OfiiOSS of S8886802 end collector
are oomblned. fn OOtUttie8having 3.888 Ohma 10,000 Inhabit-
snts, .the eheriif is ex-oifloio eeeO8Eor end 'colleotor.
The population~af the aotinty is Qeterained bg the lu8t pro-
oeding netiOna1 68nStUS a8 pEOVisiOndljr 8Tailab18w
irtlole Vera, Vernon*s kinotcrtmlOivil Statute8,
proridfag in elieat that Ootiuttiee harlzuglmw than 10,000
inhabitant.8, the sheriff of suoh aouoty shall be the es8esuor
and Qol.leotor of.taxes, 8nd ehall hev8 end exerolse all the
right& power8 and privUige8, be rubjeot to all the requin-
lWllt8and re8triotlons, psrfoEJ#(111. the d&i88 Imposed by
lm upon 88808Boca end oo~~ootor8~ and h8 shell 8180 gfv8
the lanH bonds required of an a8ees8%r and .%olleotor of tax*
o* eleoted.
Art:018 WSs, Vernon'6 AnnettatiQCivil Statutes,
'mQng other thfnf@ provide8 in Ofi8Ot thet emoh 8Sle8SOlr
ild ool~eotor of taxes within twenty day8 after ha 8hall
'hats reoelved nottao of hlo eleotion and appointment, *ad
t,beforeentering upon the dntie63Of thi8 OfiiQe, shalt giV8
;bond bscredopen the uninoumbered reel e8t8to of the rureties,
rubjeot to execution, payable to the Q6wsrnor end his cue-
in ofrice, in a cum which shall be equal to ten per
the whole amount of the State Tax of the Oounty a#
the laet preoeding aseesement, provided aeid bond
,,*hellnot 8&eed $50,000.00. This etetute further provide0
~,z~aSeid
bond shell be oonditfoned for the fP%thfYL3. per?ormenOO
i,.Orthe duties of hle offloe ee a8888iitor8rmd oolle,atorof taxem
r;or en& during the full term for whio,h h8 We8 eleoted Or b&p-
- aed."
741
Honorable Alan R, Fraser, page R
Artiolr 7249, VeFnoa*a Annotated tUrl1 Statut88
proridaa in effeat that the aaaeaaor and oolleotor ot tax-
aa shell gire a bond aimller to that required OS him by
the State with like oondltfona to the bounty bu%ge of their
reapaotive oouhtiea atid their nuoaosaoxa in ofiiae lx a 8ua
not laaa then ten per oento? the whole amount or tha
aounty tax, as 8hown by the la8t praaediug as8e8anrsnt,pro-
rids4 maid bond shall not exoeed lift7 Thou8and Dollara.
Art1018 8798, Vernon~8 JJnnotatedClvll Statutea;
provider in partt
-hen 6 majOEity Of tha board Of.trU8to88
of an lndapendent diatriot prefer to have the
tare6 of their distrlat assessed and oolleoted
by the oouuty a68a8ao1 and aollaotor, or eel-
leotad only by'fhe oountt fax Oollaatar, 5ama
ehall be aaresmed and aol~aoted by 8aid oouqty
OrfiO9r8 and turned oter to the tre8mrar of
the fndepettdentaahaol diatrlat, f%r wkloh suoh
taxerr have been %ol.leoted.e
Art2018 104Q1,Tarnon~s Aumtated Civil Stitote8, providea
::,iin partt
-Any * + e Indapendent School District a * a
*r la hereby authorlaad by ordLnanoe or by proper ra-
,-, aOlutiOn t0 authorize th8 aOulIt7Aaa88aOx Of tba
,* County in whioh said * * * fndependent Sohool Dis-
,:‘m
tr lo t l * * la looated to aot'es Tax Aaaeasor Sor a
* * se14 Iudependant School Diatrlot * * * or au-
thorize the Tax Collector of the oount In whioh aaid
* * * tidspendent School Diatrlct * * JT ia situatsd
to act ea Tax Oolleotor for said * * * Zndependent
Sohool District *%--* *F
-When the Board of Truetees has deoided that the county
tax asaeaeor-collector shall aot 58 euch for the aaid oohool aie-
trict, pursuant to the above mentionad statutea, additional dutia8
are imposed upon the oounty tax aaaeaeor-oolleotor and ha dose not
hold two ofrioea in diecharging such dutlaa, (Eagle t. (IlamRosa
Independent Sohool Diatriat, 60 S. PI. (24) b76 S4 8. W. (24) 3.004).
A8 above stated the General County bon& la oond itioned that he (the
tax assessor-oollaotor) shell feithf@lly perform the dutiee Of hi8
orficta aa assessor and oolleotor of taxes. Thererora, w8 think the
Uenerel County Bond oi tha tax a8aeasO~@Ol.la~tQr fully proteata
the independent school dietriot.
ii
742
Honorable Alan R. ?rawr, Pago 4
When en lndapandent aohool dlrtrlct has an &-
,psndentdistriot e88086or end oollaotor ho ir r8qUk8d
by Art1018 v%%, v8rOn'8 AMOt8t.d Ci.f;lat8tUt88, to
giV8 8 bond in doubl8 th8 88tiafat8damOUnt Of 8OhOOl tax-
8B OOmi~ a~UEtlly ilIt.0 hi8 hAd8 OORditifXl8d for the
h%thiUl dieOharg8 Of hi8 dUti8S in peyBI8ntt0 th8 tr8a8Ur8r
rOr en fund8 OOEiilQ hltO hi8 hUld8 by TirtU8 Or hi8 Of-
riO8.
Ths 0880 Of mt80n, t8r 00118etOr, 8t al., ~8.
El Peso County, RO8 $3.Vi.186, Uol@ oth8r thlfl88hold8 that
tax88 00118Ot8d alI& inth8 hend8 Of th8 taX OOll8OtOr a28
88OUr8d by hi8 $8iL8Hl @OUiXty boll6and mt th8 bon& r8qUirOd
by Art1018 8608, ReTia8d OiVil kItUt88, 1911. flrtiOl8ZbOS,
8Upr8, is ClOWArt1018 814S, V8lltOE’8 AMOtat8d CfV;l 8t8tUt88,
rhloh prorid. that:
'Th8 County Tax Coll8otor rhell be oh8rg8b
by th* COUrt with th8 a88888m8nt FO118 Or th8
df8triOt. and 8h8ll be 811OW84 8UOh OOS@8n88-
th rOr th8 Oal8OtiOn Or 88id tUO8 88 81-
lOW8d iOr th8 OOll8GtiOn ot other tAX88. Th8
OOUrt 8h8ll I'8QA1t888afd OrriObr tQ QiV8 8IIad-
ditiOM1. bond Or 8OOUrity in 8uOh 8Um l 8 they
488B pZOp#r lad 88fe t0 88OUr8 tb 00~8OtiOA
of rid tU88. fr 8UOb Of?iO8x rail8 Or Hr88e8
t0 diV8 SU0h 8dditfOn& 880Wtty when tOqW8t8d
by th8.CoWt, within the tim8 pmJtid86 by law
iOr 8UOh jNJrPO888,h8 8h811 b8 8U8~Xld84 tFOm
OmO8 by th8 conro 8n4 imm8diatoly thw8arter
b8 r8mOtOd trOm OrriOe IIIOha mod8 Qr88OribCtd
by Law."
Arti@ 814$, 8UpFO i8 ajQltC8bl8 t0 th8 GOUlltf
;:To;;88880r and OOlbOtOr &8tiV. t0 WatM’ 0%’ dmirugc, 418-
l It W(L8 Iaid by th8 OQUXtI
Xt la Oontand8d by th8 8Ul’8t%88 that
th8 &i&n; Or the *X08 8G&l8Oted by th8 CrOl-
loetor i8 8oouro4, not by th8 gen8n1 OoUnty
bond upon whiah they aP8 8~84 h8rein, but upon
the bond whloh Artiols &(IOb(mm Artlolr 8143)
requires to k ivan by the tax coll8ator. The
bond mO?ltiOa8d n th$I Art%018 18 r8qUir8d t0
b8 g&ran by th8 tu oolloetor *to 880~23 the Ool-
18OtiOn Or 8.%idtaX88.’ zt 18 not t0 8OaUr8
743
Xonoreble Alan R. Traear, Pago 5
the payment of the tcxee by th8 tax oolleotor
to tha onucty treasurer ertsr h8 has oollectod
the acme. The @mere1 oounty bond 8ecure6 auoh
peyinmt, on% fur that reason there la no lnerit
in this contentlm."
Article 7254, Verncm*s AnncAatea Civil Statutes
provblas that:
"The tar oollsctor 8hall be the reoelrer
end COlleCtOr Of 611 teSei3 eess8aed Upon th8
tax list in hla county, whether e8e488s8dfor
the State or county, 8Obb01, poor hoU80 or
other .purpossa;end he ehell proceed to ool-
lest the oaze aooording to law, and plea8 the
Beme when collscted to ths proper fund and
p&y the 8ecm over to th8 proper euthorjtie8,
es hemlnafter provfcled.N
Article 7248, Vemon*~ Annotated Civil StetUte8
provide8 t
*The rmmsor end collector of tares mey
be requlred to furnish e new bond or additional
8eOUrity whanattlr,in the cpinion of the Commir-
8fOn8r8 CoUrt or t be Comptroller, it my b8 8d-
Ti8ebl8. fihouldany anms8or end oollaotor ot
tares fell t3 give a new band rnd eddltlonal 88-
ourlty ahen required, hr rhall be 8uspand8d
rr06 0rrm by the mneii8sion8r5 Court 0r hi8
oounty, end imedltttely thersart8r be resoved
rrom orrice in the mode prtsscribedby 18ur.m
Under krtiol8 7246, aupre, the a6Ee88or end crol-
leotor of taxes may be rsquuired80 furnish the new bond or
eddltfonal eeourity whenever, in the opinion or th8 Oomle-
siunere court. it nay be e%vloeble. Xowtwer, we rind no
statute authorizing the boerd of en Independent ecrhooldie
trlot to require a wparcte bond where .the county tax ames6or
on4 collector act& in 6uCh Ga&lCWJityior the indepndant
school district.
In rim at the rore6;olngauthorities, you en
respectfully edvlsed thet it &?Ithe aphfon of thi8 Pspert-
mnt thet the general oounty bond a8 mqulrsd by Artiole
Honorable Alan H. Fraser, P>ape6
7fZ49, 8upra,
eupra, secures the psyment of 811 taxes collected
by the sssc.ne~:r
sssme~:r nnG aollector c,ftuxee to the groper partlss.
Therefore, your
JYXW questim 16 rsspe&X+ully ansrersd in the
negative.
Trustize
Trust&q thct i&q foregoing fuLly answers y~~ur
y-r
inyulry , we are
Ymra very truly
Al-lYmaY GmER/iL @ TiClAB
By efl&
lirdellWllllem
AB6htMt
APFROVEDDEC
19, 1940
,
TEXAS