OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Eonorablr 8. A. Xodg.8
County Auditor
n111iamon county
ooorg4tarn, Texas
Doar air I Opinion No. 0414S,
Rot 1~ eaoh oounty
quimd to tot* on a
tha oourt raq
he han the r
or remain ail
In your latter0
following qus~tlonr to t
on the mimes
“1. Doer the Co YO a right to
e ths Consls-
t to r o te
o na llluoh
oto oa each, or w he
when them is not a
o8ionrr required to
Son the Court requir-
the right to rorwo to
aah Oouaty Oamiaaionor La require4to
or8 aomlng bsrore the Court vimt la t&
tPiiing.~r wuring, t0 t0tw
Ia our o~lnion Ho, d-~l48 the above mrnt&oapd quar-
tlonr wera aafmmrd aa followr:
Vith refsrenoe to your rirrt quartion, your
lttontioa is rorpeotfully direoted to ou opinion
71l2
honorable B. & Ho4~s, page B
Ro. 0-1'918,*iah holds thatt
"'The oounty judge enjoys equal
voting ri~hte with ell or the other
meabera of the 00m110eionQra~ oaurt
whiah will lanoludothe right to %Qks
or 8b00ad any aotion ana the risht to
rote whethor there be a tie among the
vote8 ot other members or the oourt
or ace.'
ma *l0 raolori~~~a ao~ of the above ~~ntlon-
ed oplnlon ior your lnfomation an3 oonrenlenoe.
You ~111 note),as above stated, that the oounty
judqe hQL the right to rate oh all matters brought
before tha ooemla%lonera* court requiring e vote
of that body, nhloh iholudea the right to araM or
aeoond any aotlon snb the right to vote whether
there be a tie pmong the votes of the other %e%-
ber8 of the oourt or not. The right of the onunty
juQ,g to vote on all %&tars brought before th6
oomcl8sioners* court ie not rsatriotsd to lnstanoea
to where there is a tie tote.
"In reply to your aeoon~ qurdtlon, it %~FpsQra
from all the Quthoritiea that va have exanlned, oon-
stltutiorml, statutory, or judkal interpretations,
the oounty judge la not required or ecmpellea to
vote upon Qay natter brought before the cnamieeion-
era* oourt, but has the rlGht to vote or refreln
from rotlnp:a8 ha my determine.
"In answr to Qour third quertloa as above
a:.atea, an9 three members,oi the ocmmlsslonsra~
oowt, including the+o@tyl;jg6&e, constitute a
quoruaaror the tranaaotUn~ oi Qay busineso exeept
that of levying a sounty tax. Therstore, what has
been said with roferenes to requiring or ocmpellln~,
a county jutleeto vote on Qh9 netter before the
aonnlsslonere~ oourt is equally applioable to any
ooamlsaioner, and eaoh aonmiaaloaer may vote or rq-
fuse to rote on any quastion.Qs ha shall determine.
*In reply to pour raurth question, 9ou are ad-
vised that a co%snls%fon%ris aot required or uampellod
to vote on sny Qat'er ooaln& before the oourf, and
that a refusal to note on any suah matter does not
con%titute a peual orrenae of any naturOl.n
. ..
713
Honorable H. A Hodges, paga 3
We am a? the opinion that the above quotrd answers
to ymr questions are oorreot with one exception, whioh is
that all mtmbere cf the eomml6%loner%~ court lnoludlng the
county ju¶g@ who is a Bember o? aaid oourt are required to
rota Vhan aeleoting a b%nk or banker as a depository of the
funds 0r l o o ua ty.
Artiole 428 a? the Penal Code reads as follows;
*Any tsembbr o? the oommisaloaara oourb who
shall fail or ret1180 to vote at any February
tara theroo? n6xt iollowlng each gepsral eleo-
tloa ?or a oamplianos with the raquiramentaOS
the law providing fo rthe leleotioa o? a beak or
banker a8 the depository o? the funds o? mob
oouaty shall be fine4 not leas than on. hundred
nor more than rive hundred dollars or be lmprl-
soned la jail not lese than one nor aore then
air aoaths, or both. Suoh tatlure or te?a%al
Is ground for removal from o??lce.*
In view of tha ioregolag statute,. you are reapot-
iully advised that it is the opinion a? this department .that
all aombera o? the eomlasioaera~ oguzt, uhioh laaludea the
aouaty judge, are required to ~040 bn the aelaotlon of a
bank or baakrt ? he funds a? their ro-
as the diposltory ti,-
apeotlve oounty, and a iallure to do so la a violation o? Arti-
ola 426 a? the Penal Gods. pny aember of the oommlaaioners~
oourt f+iling to vote upon the matter of aelaoting a bank or
banker as the depository o? the funds o? the oow Is subjsot
to proaeoutlon under Artiale 428 of the Penal Code. Other-
wise, in ooaformlty with the abavr msatloned opinion, you are
advised that the oounty judge or a aosanfssioner is not required
or ooopelled to vote on any matter aoming beiore the oourt,
aad that a reiuaal to vote on an9 such matter, 4xoapt as ateve
stated, does not con&tute a penal o??ema o? any nature.
Trusting that the foregoing ?ully answers your fn-
quiry, w remala
-3k4b-J
ATTORNEY GENERAL OP TEXAS