. .’
.e
305
oplnlon Eo. O-7.502
%I?: Is it mfudatorythat the
city health officer be
ap lntetl.sacb year snd
2-e
clted questlon8.
Your letter of flwentber 9, 1966 has been reoeivedr-e-
guestingan opkfon of this departmentMC! presentingthe following
two questione:
WI. state.l&s is it
Atrordiy to ,,the~
asndatorythat the c ty hetith dfficsris appointed
every two ye%rs? '
‘(2). sL%yor and city counta ;
is z-e-electedentire1 ey wish to keep the sams
city health officer 8 It necesscqr for the govern-
* body ta agaia 08ficiallyappointthe health officer
Sor a new tea-&"
Article 4425, ILevisod
Civil Statutesof Tsxas, as amended,
prorides: ..
"The goyerniig.bod;rof each inoorporatedcity and
tom within this State shzS. elect l qualifiedperson
for the office of City health officerby s najority
of the vo';osof the governingbody, except in cities
uhich aay be o*rat.edunder e charterprovidingfor a
differentnet!& of se1ecti.qcity yaicians,in which
event the dfiS.ceof city health offfh cer &all be filled
as ie now PiLeG by the city physicist,, butSin no
iustaneesl;&.et~tof:ice02 city health ofricer bB
aboliabed. --liealtkofilcer after amointzzent
shall talccem? sub&be to the of1 -1ciCl o.&; ant?ahdl
flL - copy of such oath end a copy of his a~~oiWmrzt
\ .
Ilon. oebrgo WI co% - P%w 2
~t&theTaxasStateBoard ofKee&h, and ahallnotbe
debti ",z;&a;~ qualified
untilaaidcopteeohall
. Ho tenure of affieo ir proaadbad for the oit health
officer,80 the etty would haye authoriOy'topreeoribaI;rordinanoo
what the authoritiesfelt would-be the properlength of tho.Wrm of
a city health officer. However,.the tena of office could not be
fixed for a term longer.thantwo years because of the limitation6
providedin ArticleXVI Section 30, of the Texas Cowtitution.
380 &SO ca~b&%ll VS. k&OWfl, 30 3.4. 322; h2hld.c:Vll.City Of '
Dallas, 63 SAT;'.
2nd 175, af-tirn?od
# S.X. 2nd 167, oplnioil withdrawn
on rdmaring and reversedon ether grounds,103 S.W. 2nd 725.
Row&w, Article XVI, Section17, of the State Constlti%ion
provides:
.ihllofficerswithin the Stat6 eh&U continueto
(7) performthe &tie8 0: their offioeer
until their 5wz-
.b.. oe88or813hal.3.be dd.. qu&ified.R
'Pherbforo,
our antwer Lo ]iourfirst q&t&on is that a city
health officer&tee no-thavo to be appo$ntbdevery two ywr6, but his
ternlofofflce c#u¶not+befor8longortwm~aQtwoye~*
ia that it would not be
a&o ol'ficially ap it?%
if that person now rolds
ofMaa until hi6 luo c es-
advisable
.~. if the city