Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFT&AS AUSTIN June x, 1939 omw c. MANN 'imn.mlnu -.. @n. G80. w. cw state SiarilthOtfiaar iwatln, T0xas Dee Sirs Ub ami i?l~ raoeipti B39, in nbleh you a& for qtl8lit~onst .,. ‘. hee.Lthofficer for hi~~oo*w&y, who shall hold of- ii08 for tU0 YOtW8, solidcomity he&t& ofYX.cer atu3.ltake cud subcsarlbot3 the. of'riclnl. oath, and &ail rile 81oopy oX mch o&h und a cu?y d c Ron. Ceo. V..,Ck, Jum 1, 1339, Page 2 his &qqmintkit with the 'Dzas-Sate Board of Doalth; and, until such copiao nre no fl;led, said officer shall not bo deei~adlegally qwl- iriOd, Cozpensatlan or s&d county hoalth or- rioar shall be fixed by the Com&ssiamrs* Court; provided, that no ooqmmatlcn or sal- arp diall be allowed ttxaeptrce ~tu-rl~txi aatually rcndore4Lm --50 oose.ruo'suchstatute a5 lfdsblg it ll2andato- ry upon the Conmisnlczlers~Coat to appoint bletualallya progtxr~XSXXJ~tinthe otfIos OS cqmty health ofticer. ~., &rtio&e 4426, Rev1Plne.d ClvIl 3tatutes, low, au- thmizoa tho nppointment~oi axounty health offloek.by :~:theState Roard o~Re.slth, ifthecounty autborltloa do not act, '. mJol8 &27 out&Os the duties oi a aouhty "health orric8r. This ehumeratim Is 5.nd&all&?& give8 .Uiz a nultltude of ~esponslbilitfes. Aiding and assist-,~' : 'ina;tha.!fJxasstat0 Ro3rd~oi Realth or0~~as;on&-bistashs: : _. The.Mt YE&80 tb&t ho *~l$.dlsohargo an7 addltionel ~:dui;izY,wtiohit s&y b8 proper for county authorities und& ,. the prasant~lm.fio .rocpdro~or aouht7 . physloiahs.?. ~. Lo ~.: Article 44%. ~&vised Civtvu&!tut8s; iQ&* is : -l '4xolt&3lveautborlty ror~~tho~~cuoval.ofa bounty hoart&. .~ .. 0rri0ctr.’xt .PC~@: :: T . .. "In'all &?&terkrtith~whiOh the' State Board ,~ .~ 'of @alth say be.clothed tith autharity, said county hsaltb offlcor shall at all times be un- d8r it8 dlreotian;~and an7 failUr8 or rafUs+ on the part of said county henlth offloor to oboy Chea%utlIoority and ransonable COlYdN3Ud3Or _ said Stat8 Ro.ardof Rmlth &all oonstitute ~mslfmaence ia offloe, and &m&l subjact,said~ county heslth 0rxlOcx to rmoval fron ~0friOO .'at tho relrrtbn of the State Rasrd ot Renlth; and Reiid!sgahurjgw forremm3.,'sald~o~nty health offlcer s!iallnot rmzlve any salar7~or . OOZ!-~ZlS%tlUi*?%;idonuoo~ahall be trlod In the dlstrlct acwt of the oountp ia tv':iohsuch aouu- ty health of:lccr res,fdea.w. iscin.Ge0.S. c&&a 1, 1939, Faeo 3 . . The oomf,y health officer lo &raM,eU a‘trial OS the removal cause "In tho district court oi the ooun- ty in -;rhlchmch county?ieelth officer resi&xP. Artiolea 4420 and 4429, Revised iXvKt Btetutes, 1925, n&t be strictly follmed 5n the attempted remval of a oounty baelth offioar.' It.will be notcd Chat the rt%ovel proossdings in.this instanoe are instituted by the State L3oardGr R%alth. The ground8 nro malfoaannc8 of Off%08 coosistiq GS fall.uroand rof~sal to dlsob.sr&e the dutlos OS the afflae~~ . _i ': Artlcle.4425, aSvLsad~Givl1 Statutes, 1925 : &k%t8d~tke . Offi ~Oi Oity health OiwOarc' It QZCoV&.sa: -The .gWeipi~ btn+ ot:&?h inokporatii .". bltp Mb townwlthlnthLa State shall eleot a. ~Wltled person for the office of olty health 45ffioerby-a h.aJorlty or the votes oi i;as@V- cming body,:oxco$ 3.ncStles w!&oh raoy be oper- : : ated under ahbarter groWIing~for aidiC&xrent :Y-.'. method of aeleotin6 city p4siolan5, in which ..._ .. avant the offree o$.olt.tuhealth otfloer ohall rile 0 009~ of.8~~0ath~~d 6 00pp 0r his tip". - po$ntnSnt wM.3 tha Taxes state Bwrd OS HeaTltQ and shall not be deemed to.be legally quallZi8d until said aoples ohell.have boa so filed." I' : : (Underaooring OurB)r~.~~ ':~' The'etatuta oletrr~ stipxibatasthat %a no'In- 'stanoe sballtho,oSf5.ccrof oity health officer be aboU.ah- &d" *~.. .) Artlole 4430, RevLsod C5.vll stt$tutes,1925, out- ‘lkgthe d;ttiesOf a olty health officer, plaoes th%s orflour under tha diructlon and rqulatlon ot the State ,Bmrd OS Eealth. .,. ' Tha.Olty htilth oftlocr like the county health 0fffO.S $8 subject Of ~8~OVSl at th8 rClf&tkXIOf'the StEt.8 ul. GYO. ?i.coxi Juno 1, 1939, R?.ge.4 bard of Boulth and a trial ia‘the blstrlct court of his :slt%nos prwldod. Artidleo 4431 cud 4432, Revised CLV- ? strltutos,1925. The ststaitcedo not subordlnato the positi& P olty health officer to that or oouuty health offLoer. 3ey-are parallel'fu b.portunoe, legal status, and acpo of wotik outllmid for the rcspeotlve poaltlacs. cth offioezrare subject to the state Roard of Realthl * nthar than to caoh other or to the County Cctisslmerst mix-t. : '. ~InArtTcle.eo4433 MCI W54, Rovloed CiVii St&C;- tic*,1925;'~1 tinnualoonfer8noc 0r oounty tindcity _. ealth offlours uaderthe dh8otlon of the State Board or aalth la provided for, and oooperaticn betwe8n municipal .uthOrttf8S~aad the ~oZUi&3oioKle~'CO& in X'8titlolt to .ealthm&tore-is urged, ,. :. .: '. .A earcful oo&de&%ux oithe.aforeueutloz&h '. irticlesfalle to lndioate'thut itwssthe leglslat2v.ein-~ ieutf;!igt-thoCom&osicuent Court of the couatyhad aO8 ~ota~bf'jurlodiotlan over the-]iosltlcnof olty health:. ', .. bflOsr,, .: . .' _' ~'Bot.lk &e*pc&&aa o~'cckty &'ott,h ~h<h'~",~~ . 3rri00ra arcistkmt.ory. &3it2l8& OS the& OZiilbe %b&d&- ' ad riOi?CfUl they:bo cOuSO&bIt8d +8p$thbg: I?e&+itiVe c3t- rc?isxslt . . : It is BXk,re& ;rovl&d tf&.% no flz&lOe' shnXl.the offlce of oity'health 0rPlcsr be abolish8d't. : The &mr~zSnS~body.of the oity bps no right to abolish -:~. th3 offxotb Thu Stato Raard of Health has LSOpm& to . abcllsh ;it.~Certainly the County Cor;nlssloaers* Court lrmks tlie autbwlty., Taaa3 l.e&lnture wrote the posl- tim of city health offlcer intothe ,law lu tha'intcrest of pub3,l.dhealth and Article 4425, Revised Civil Statutes; 1925, wouid hava to b.erepcls.t8dor iuaendcdbefore the SC&WZlt.8 ?OoS~tlCXl Of Olty heath Officer OOLLldb0 al&i- ,' fnat8d OT abOihh@. ~h8 cour,tyGfxmlaslcmhrs~ Cou.Vt.hasoortnin . - powers end outbcrity in roepect to the oCfLoo of county hmlth offlois. The poxcr of apRointzcixt., oo?.$rol,o~er '.Eon.Geo. L$:cox, Juno 1, 1939, Page 5 . compensation;and the right to prescribe duties, these all exist. But the State Board of Health has a oonour- rent control and authority. Clearly the power of the Bounty Commissionersv~Court,In respect to the position or county health officer, is defined and limited by the statutes. The County Court oannot exoeed its express pow- er andrights. . Ee wish to point out that this department ii bpinion Ho. O-5lS to Honorable Fred T. Porter, County At- torney, Xaufman County, has already ruled that the offices ,ofoity health officer and county health officer are oiv- il orrices 0r emolument within the purview or sootion 40 o$ article 16 or the Constitution or the State or Texas prohibiting any personsholding or exercising two suoh ~orrioes at the same.tlme. ~:ft is our opinion that a aouaty c~m.l~~i~ner~~ Court and a Oity Cannisslan are prohlbited both by set- ~. tion 40 0r article 16 0r the constitution and the stat- utes or the State or Texas from appo5nting and employing ,tineperson atijoint county and city health officer. Oie rurther,.hold that a CIountyCommissionera'Court is with- gut &thrity to relieve the,health 0rri0f2c 0r ths oounty of his otfioe and then re-employ him under a oontraot as county and oitg health offioer, paying hima salary ror 'both positions. To ho&d otherwine we think would be rea- .ognnizingIn the Oounty:Commissioners*Court legislative'.. -'mer to abo&lsh and ~oonsolidatestatutory state offices In addition to the constitutionelinhibition; Finally, :. 'aCounty Commssionrars*Court may not legally remove's :oountyhealth offioer without boco-zing'liableUnder the . contract or appointment exoept on the grounds 0r mslfeas- ante of office in an action instituted by the State Board or Health,. Trusting that the above satisfaotorily'answors .'gour ~inpz.$rfec3, we are Yours very truly BY B:omb k3Si8tat A?PSGVZD: