The Attorney Gene.ral of Texas
March 19, 1981
MARK WHITE
Attorney General
Honorable James Warren Smith, Jr. Opinion No. k!+S99
Prio County Attorney
P. 0. Box V Re: Grievance procedure under
Pearsall, Texas 78061 article 391214 V.T.C.S.
Dear Mr. Smith:
You ask two questions concerning the grievance procedure provided in
article 391214V.T.C.S. You first ask:
Once a grievance committee has met and taken
formal action, but less than an unanimous concur-
rence was reached as to raising the aggrieved parties
salaries, then may those elected officials continue to
,220 ONI” ha.. SUIN 202 file repeated written requests for the reconvening of
No!man.Tx.m said committee to reconsider their grievances or
71-
must said officials wait until the next budgetary
hearing to file their written grievances at which time
their salaries would be re-set for the ~followhig
budgetary year?
Article 391214 V.T.C.S., authorizes the ,commissioners court to’~sat the
42CS N. lath, SuIta B
salaries and expenses of county officers and employees. A grievance
Mcubn. TX. 73301 committee is established pursuant to section 2 of article 3912k. An elected
51-7 county or precinct officer “who is aggrieved by the setting of hi salary,
expenses, or other allowance by the commissioners court may request a
hearing before the committee: It Sec. 2(d) (emphasis added). The statute IS
200 MaIn Plu4. sun9 u-m
San AMlo. TX. 7szM
phrased in the singular. We believe a single grievance.entitles the official to
s12/2s4101 a single appeal through the grievance procedure. The elected officials may
not, have the committee reconvened repeatedly in order to consider their
salary setting.
Your second question arises from the fact that the public members of
the grievance committee are drawn from persons who served on’grand juries
during the preceding calendar year. Your question is as follows:
Are grand jurors, who are selected in accordance with
this article, entitled to a fee for their services on the
grievance committee as they would be if they were
actually serving on a grand jury?
p. 985
Honorable James Warren Smith, Jr. - Pege Two
Article 2122, V.T.C.S., provides for the payment of each grand juror for each day or
fraction of a day that he serves as a juror. We believe that service on the grievance
committee does not constitute service as a juror. Service as a public member of the
grievance committee is voltmtary and does not carry compensation under article 2122.
SUMMARY
An elected county or precinct officer who is aggrieved by
the setting of his salary under article 391214 V.T.C.S., is entitled
to one appeal through the grievance procedure per salary
setting. The public members of the grievance committee who
are &awn from grand jury lists are not entitled to payment
under article 2122, V.T.C.S., as grand jurors for service on the
grievance committee.
JOHN W. FAINTER, JR.
First Assistant Attorney General
RICHARD E. GRAY III
Exeoutive AssIstant Attorney General
Prepared by Susan L. Garrison
Assistant Attorney General
APPROVED:
OPINION COMMITTEE
Susan L. Garrison, Chairman
Jon Bible
Walter Davis
Rich Gilpin
Bruce Youngblood
p. 986
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion