‘OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honorable 8. A. Bodipr
Qouaty maitor
wllllam8oa County
Coorgetorm, Toxar
Dear Slrr
tr of thatboar,or
to tot. to break a
-4. I? eaoh County Commlrrlonrr is nqalml
to rote on matters eotalagbefore the Ooart wlmt ls
Honorable 8. A. Badges, Page 8
the penalty for f8illag or rdwing, to rote?.
Artirlo 2S4t, Toraon*r Annotated Cid.l Sktater,
naaa a8 rouowm
Yho rereral mmal88loaer8, tog&her with
the warty la&e, 8bll wapoar the rComlosfonrrs
Court’ aad the oountr Judg8, when prmmt, 8lmll
be th0 pnrldia8 0rrf08r of 8da eoVt.*
Ne qaote iron Texao forlapntdenor,
Yolaae IT, pago
8S9 aad SbO us iollant
*Any thrw mnbers or tha Comiwfonerr Uoart,
iaelnding the ooonty j&go, wrutitute a qoorua ror
the tnmraotloh of a a rb a a ~no r s
lxmpt that of 1-p
lag a 00$&y tar. That I8 ta ray, a uortm for the
traa8aotfon or bo8Lnssr 18 oonrtitut 08 by any three
wzml8rlooer8 or br the ooeaty Jo&go aad any two
oonael8efonsr8. . . It ia not nooersar~ that thr
oounty fadgo bq p r r seal:8d prorfdlang la order that
the C8wdrrioam Cart mar tranoaot it8 bunlnsr~;
the rtatuter merely reqairo that.thr wmty fndgo
prwiae whoa ho 18 pre8aat. . .* Arti W43,
Vernon’s Amotatul Oltil Statuter) Dalton T. Allen,
am 9. 1. 4s9.
seotioa 18 o? Article s 0r the Toxa8 Coa8titutioa
reach, in pa-t, a8 r0mnm
I . Eaoh oounty .&all ia llka wsuaor bo di-
dad i& o fo uroomaiwioaers prwfaetr ,-inlaoh or
whloh thee mhall be elwted b? t&e qua.lSiiedrotora
therwf one eorurtyoomd8810aeTr who &all hold hi8
0rrf00 ror twv year8 ant11 hi8 luoow8or rh8U br
elooted and qualitltir The wwltr 8olsAfr8ion*rr80
ehoaen, wfth the ooantf Jadge, as prwfding oftfoor,
8hall wqwe thm eoanty eermai88loner8 oewt, rhieh
#hall lrwolse mob powg8 aad Jorlrdiotioa mar all
ooimtf bruinoar a8 i8 ooafornd in this Conrtltatioa
and th* laws ot the Stato, or a8 may bo hereafter
preseribe4.n
Silthretrronoe te par tfrrt question,your atten-
tion in re8peotfull~ dlrwted to our OpXnSoa Ho. 0-lTl6,
Eo2craI2lc 2. A. :iocgs, Pi!Je 3
which >OldS that:
The aounty jUdC% enjoys equal voting ri@tS
Flits all 0: t58 othes %e&Srs of th8 OCiXIiSS%OnOl%.
oourt wbloh ~111 include tie ri$it to zrake or aoe-
0nC onT ;?otion 3Ed the right to rots whether there
be a tie aLzo&; the votes of othor members oi the
court or not.-
tFe are oroloelng nf the above mntfortet~@in-
a oopy
103 ior your inrori23tion and 00nmzile~oe. You will note, am
above stated, that the oounty judge has the slat to rot8 on
nll ratters brou&t beiore the oo.~lsaionors~ court regnfricg
a VGtQ oi tSnt b.ody, ah:ch iaoludes the rf;ht to xka or see-
cd qny xotion and the +ht to vote whether there ha 3 tic
nnon~ the votes of the other ze&ers of t!xe oourt or zmt.
The ri@t of thu oounty judge to vote on sll zatters brought
befcre the oozalsslor~ers* aourt is not rsstrieted to in-
3tences to vihcrretk3re is 3 tie vote.
In ro>lj= to your seaond~.question, It 63pars tros
all tkza sathorltlos Cat 1713hare exmined, c03stitutionsl,
atctutor;, or Judioial interpretstions, the county judge 15
cot requfrsd or o&gelled to vote upon any mtter brou&t be-
fori? t2-e o+x?isi~Sionars~ cou&, but As the rl!+t to vote or
reiraln iron voting as he -33~ detornlne,
In ansmr to yc?;r third rjuostton as.above etated,
aay t'hree zezxbers oi t:e mmlssloners* court, ineluding the
county * 3ocstltute
jUiiC.3 a p3rum for thk transaetfon or any
buc,iCe-.ssexcept that of le~yk~x a county tax. Therefore,
wtmt !ms been said ~:ith refersnoo to requiring: or cozpUin~
a cowitp jud;:e to vote on arty mttor before the oozzaissioneru*
oourt is e-usll; a~g~lieob~a to any cozsui8s1oner, and esch ocm-
ti.ssioxer a%~ YGto or refuse to vote on any c_uost.iGn as he
s?.all Caternine.
In recly to yo:r fourth qusstfon, you am advised
t&t a oo~~issiomr is not required or cozpelled to vote Oil
any xattzr ocr,i~~,zbefcre the oo*xrt, aad thet a reiusal to
-rota 03 sn: ouob xatter dG8.5 riot constAtute a 2em.l Offen
or acy aature.
Bonorabie Ii. A. IIodg88,P8gO4
Ardelllllll8n8
&8)8tUlt