936
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
OROVLRSCLLCRS
ATroIWrv
OR(IIAL
quotr
rides ln courtlrr hmtlng a taxable talu&tion
b;tkr?$27 950 000 00 and -'27 960 OCO00 for the year 1438,
thr oounty ~oa&sl&~rre cdrt’ln
&wh*oountlra shall hare
the power to sat and lstablirh annually the maximum amount
or forrr ior jutatloo or poacr and oonrtabhr but in no 8vant
rhall It arorsd $3600.00 per annam and dth the firthe? liini-
tatbn that no ire8 c&all lx o a a $500.00
d for any on8 quart~rr.
This statcte ~33 ;osr2d t2 a.~plg to Fort 3bcJ Comty since
937
Honorabla Sidney J. Brown - iOF. 2
our valuation ram bat*aen tha above flgurar iOr the year
1938.
"The justloa of paaoe end oonrtablas oi Fort Band
County are on a faa baa18 and artlola 3902 H. C. S. ro-
Tl4.8 ior appointment of daputls8 0s oounty and pro0Pnot
ofrloara on far ba818. If thr ooauai8rIoner8oourt would
approve of 8 deputy cmmtabla being appointad after proper
rp::lioatlon18 tiled, what maiimua ralmy oould the oourt
allot ttm ooxutablr to ~87 hi8 drputy out oi th8 8xo.88
?.08 Of him 0rriod Would th8 limltatlon Of thr deputy
ooartrblr mrbry ba on a aonthlf, qurrtarly or yarrlf barlr?
"Could thr oowtrrblr W lort Band
County taka into om-
sldaratlon thr lrpansar of hi8 orfloa, such a8 oar expansea,
In drteraInI~ thr mount or h.8 or hi8 orrio abet lm can
ratalnt Am 8n lx.a la If ronrtrbl. to.8 Uount to $12OO,OO
for ona qurrtar oou pa ha ill8 nonthlr rrportr rhal.a& hlr
eutoaobll8 axpanra and rakin the 0x0088 to 00v.r hlr traral-
II@ 8rpmra8, lr tha lx p 8na a van
8 @aatar than the exoa80
rear?
"In rrrannor to my raoond. inquiry, tha 1945 taxebla ralua-
tlm or Fort Bent Coaty Is $32,.O23,310.00.Under artlcla
3912 (a) rootion 13~U.ir 8.l.ty of tha OOUZltytraa8Ur.r 00~1::
ba lnoraaaad 1% tor each miL;llondollar8 in rslnation in
lxoaae of $15,000,000.00 8nd thr 1945 rnundnunts 8llOwad m
additional lncraarr Of 25s on tha 8alar)r.
"In retirenor to my last inqalry, I will rtata that
tha oounty &&a and arvrral other oountg o?fIolals ware
being paid a ralary of $4200.00 durlry t&a year 1944 and
1945, and thee. otflorre ware be1 Id thla salary un-
dsr the provlslr~n of nrtlcle e ssotlcn
3$12 "ir 13 alloT.,.F?r
for e 1,. lncraose for tech tillio.? dcllar taxekjls velua-
tlon in exce:.s of ~l~,CGC,COO.GG. : 0~16 the 1945 emsnd-
25nt to the s,>lar:q lcw allovA.lp 8 255, Increeea erply tc ths-s
county o!'fIoIels ma!clng 8 salary In excas6 of 3bCC.W 9
yczr ror 194LC ,:&t *:iotild bs t?i3 !c%xIau~ s'?lery tkt cc 1G
bs paId theas of~'icIsls for the yser 19467”
"Ith mferanoe to your quertlens concerni-& the saxinux
oomprnaatlon of tha Col;nty ‘Trraeursr snd other oountg offioare of
701% Send County, we nota that tha pOpul:tIon Of ?Ort Band CWLlty,
is shown by the 194;; Fsdsral Csneus Is 32,963, The .mxlmum amount
or the en, ual salsrlaa ?ilzlch the Co%nleeloners’ Court aey fix for
said orfloors Ie govornsd by the provIsI:,ns of Section 13 of
..rtIcla 351.-e, ‘iermnts .~n!:otatac! 'Civil tiitutes. El3 sbovs le.-
.
tionrd arrtlon oaatalna unaral ~rovlalona aa to tha aaarImumaal-
alar, qplioabAe to all ocuntlaa ha+- a population of 20,000
lnhabitantr, and not IDON than 190,000 inhabitanta, ao-
to tha laat prroraIn# Fadaral cwlaua, aa roll aa
lloabla undrr oorkia OIraumatIno~a, whrraFe r
art may allow oartaln lro8ntagaa of Inoroeaa
to be ad&ad to tha amunt of the aalar P aa rllowrd rsdrr @ha
Aa l witi nraronoa to tinlnlarIoa
0i 00tuy 0rf hariry a popolatlon botwaan
20,000 and 190,000 Itibitanta larordln6 to tha tat praoadla
F’rdWil COMPI, Wa find 8ha fOil00it~6 iai~@~&a in 888tian 1) Oi
Artlola )91Qa, Vornon~a AnnotattrdCivil Statutaa:
wlba ComIaaionara~ Car* in roontlaa hrvlng a popa-
latlon of tuaaty thouaaod (10,000) iahabltanta or aora
and lraq than ma hundnd and nina8y tlsoPund (190 OOOf
lnhabltanta cooordiag to the lrat road*. Tadarai Cwiuua,
.I8 h r r r l b utharl8ad
y c
and l*dull ftr dutr to Ik tha
aalarlai or lU. the folLew1~ oasr4 0m00r8, to-witr
ahayIfY, laaaaaor and oollaotor of tama, oountf judea,
county attornay, lncludl~ orImina1 dletrlot attarnaya
and so u a ty lttornaya rhn prrimm the dUti88 Of dl8trIOt
attorneys, Clatrlot olrrk, oounty clerk, treaaurur, h.Idr
and adtam i~yrotor. Eaoh of wld ottlcara ahrll br paid
In money ,anannual aalar In tvalrr (12) aqua1 Inatall-
men* of not laaa than tha total lplpearnad aa 80 lnM-
t4.m by him In hi8 orrioial oapaalty for %hhrii808 ‘s raar
1935, and not more than th naarImumammnt alloyed rrah
oiflo*i under lnwr oxirtlog on August 24, 1935.”
as to the ~?ER~ELIZI
emu&t of Co~paMatlon euthorlzad un-
.der laws cxiet.ing Jwy,u:t 21, 1535, for t&a ebove mine:! oificsrs,
we call your ektentirn to the lollor.~ng statutory provisions;
.4rtlcle 39L3.
V. .+. C. S.1
nThe co.~lssio~a allmrd to any County ‘Treasurer
rball not rxcssd Two Thousand Dollar (12,OOO.OO)aanual-
1jI . . . .”
Artlclr 3851, v, ai. c. s t
ofrlcar naxrd -la
‘R”;aoh Chaptrr ahall flret out
of the current fear ot bin oiiior pay or ba paid the amunt
allowed him under the prctlslum of Article 3883, togrther
wlth the salaries of his aaslstanto and drputlsa, and au-
Bonorablr S?.dnay Jr Brown - Pa61 4
thorlrra exprnaaa under etiolr 3899, 8rd thr amount nroraaary
to aovmr ooata o? pnmlua on whatatrr mrrtv bond mar br ra-
ulrra by &w. If tha ourmnt ?a08 o? auah orri0r oolhat0a
en any par ba aora than the amount naadad to pay tha amounts
lbora apaalfIaa aam abrll ba drama4 lxoaaa iaaa, and. ahall
ba dlapoaaa or in tha aannu bralnaitrr protIdad.n
“In ooun8Ira oontalni~ 88 tmant88 twant7Wiva thouaand
and ona (25,001) and not more then thirty-aman thocuand,
?Irr hundna (37,500) lnhabltanta, dirtriot md oountr offi-
au8 maa4 harrln @hall ratein oar-third of 8U8h 810888 faaa
until auab ona-third, Bogatibrrwith tha 8aouat a aoifla~ In
Artlloa 3663, rmunta to ‘&lrtp?lrr Pun&W Do1Pera ($3500.00).*
Wtb awfaranoa to luth o r ir outeln
lng
aroanta 88 o ? inonuaa So yolod amunta al-
Powad M 8u the grrvxsl provlaloru, tht parU8ent p r 8vldo na lra:
e8 huvl!a6a Dopo&$Ion
and 1888 Ui@a )IrIrQ-
lababitaota
(37.5001 looordIal to tha laat
prroralng Fudsral tinsus, antieh&Ing an raarai~d valuation
In rxcrsaso? Ylftrrn pillion ($15,000,000.00)Dollera, ao-
cording b the last approrrd pnorclng tax roll&& auoh oounty
tha mximum mount allowrd auoh offloan 88 lalarIra mar be
Inonaaad ona (I$) par cant for eech Ona YIlUon ($l,OOO,OOO.OO)
Dollar8 raluatlon or I’raotIonaI prt thrraof, In ax0888 Of
raid 7Iftorn MIllIon ((15,000,000.000) Dollara nlratlon 0Ior
and nbot8 tlm aerimum amount lllawrd luoh offlorra under law8
lxIatln6 on BUguat 2kr 19354. . . . l
(2) Article 39120. :;action 13. Sub-dirlsion(8)(S. B. 123,
Acts 19th ‘LN?., 1,Ll)
“The &~\mni~aLcnera co& ii hsrrby authorlzad. wher in
thrir ju?pgant the financial condition-o? the cowiy and ths
nasds of th crfimni justify tha lncraear, tc enter an order
lncreasln~, the cospe~saticn of ti.8 Frsclnct, county and Uls-
trict or’flctrr in sn e diticnal azcunt not to exceed tv:sntp-
rivr (25%) per cant or the aurn allowed under the la& tor the
fiscal year of 19~4, prcvldsd the total compensation author-
ized under the law for the fiscal year o? 1544 did not axcrrd
the sum o? ‘dhirty-21x Hundred ($3600.00) i’ollaro. riddadActs
19i.5, 49th Leg., p. 2U, ah. 179, I 3.”
940
Eonornblr sldnry J. 3r ow - Pagr 5
Wa not8 that the forreolng 9r~vinkta of Sub-dlrinlon (8)
(S. B. 12,) wan not rffaotltr until May 9 1945. We not. further
that thin dnpartmnnt held in Opinion No. 6-6575 that the forn-
going proolnlonn of 9. 9. 123 a?8 not l pplloabln rhea thr amount
of aompannatlon rothorl:ad by law for a partloulu offloor for thr
rl~oal year of 1% nlr mora than ~~600.00. b order to drtnrmlnr
whrth8r thn 9rorl8lon8 of 8. B. 12) are l pplioablr to thr rnrlow
o??lOOr8 or Fort Band Comty, It 18 nannnary to drtnrmlnr tho
a mo unt o r 00lAa8tloA rhirh tha 18~ ruthorlzr~ rm raid orrlorr8
for the flnoa 7. paa of 1944. Dnbor the &+?a1 ~rorlnioo8 of
S8otloA 1) of Artlo 39128, the offloorr Aarrd ooul4 hava brra
d.lOwed th8 raxlaum Ooplp~88tiOil rhloh rush offloorr lould hare
ratafnnd undnr lawn rxlrting Augunt 24, 1955. Dhdrr law8 rxlnt-
lng Augubt 2&, 1935 the County Twanurrr oould ha+8 baa lllowrd
a mnxlmuia oomgnnnedon of $2 000.00 annually (Art. 3943), rhilr
the mulmu annual compannntfon o? thr other o??lrorr nun04 In
thn law wan $3500.00. UAdU tha ii?8% 8DaOid 0101 81&q lbOl0
quoted, the foregoing nmountn oould hrriom par-
omt par milllm dollar or imotion thrno?, of oountr tu
valuation in lx o n8nof $i5 OOO;oOO.OO, an #horn bf oh8 hat
approved prordlllg tu roli. An to the fir081 year of 1944,
the oounty tar valuation of Fort BoAa CouAtf an nhorn by thn
last approved prrordlng tax mll (194)), aooordl to leiormatlon
rurnlnhrd by the Shk Comptrollrr’n Offlor, wan
Thun, uiulnr lald npaolrl Drovlnion, the maximrunOmpaAB
orlrnd undrr thn annral Drovlnlon of S8atlon 13, Art1010 39128
02.000.00 - ootuh& trr88urrri $3 ,500.oo - othar orflo~r Maoa)
oould hato booa lnororrod 88rontrea pnroont for tho flnoal year
or 1944. Sinao the protlaloA8 of 6. 8. 12) (Sub- dlrlrlon (8)
luprn) nor0 not in lrr00t in 1944, thn total m~xlmkm otmpsnrat1OA
whloh thr Coumlnnlon8rn*Court omld harr ruthorlrrd for the flnoal
pear of 1944 ran O2,340.00 ($2,000.00 91~8 17%) for thr County
Treasurer, and $4,095.00 (Tj,500.00 plus 17%) ior the other ofilcars
namd ln Section 13 of Lrtlolt 39120.
.b hnr -tofore ntatod, the provlnlonn of Sub-dlvlnlon (01
of .Artlcle 39128 (5.3. 123) are ayplloablr only to those officers
whose aOmpenn8tiM authdlzed by law ior the ?laoal year Of 1944
did not exceed $3,600.00. Thun, in port 3end County, S. 3. 123
would be ayplloable only to the nalary of the County Trnasurer.
You are therefore advised thst under the provisions o? S:. 3. 123
(Sub-division a, Zec. 13, Art. 3912r), when ln the Judgment o?
the Comnl~nlonrrs* Court, “the financial condltlm oi the county”
and the needs o? the oifloar justify the lncrOaae, the Co.mlssionery’
Hcmorrblo Sldaol J. Brown - Pagn 6
COW% 18 rl%thDriZOd t0 OIltO? lA Order iKIOrOrOily th8 OOlB~ABBtJiOA
Of tbr cOUAtT e088~1~ “IhO% t0 lIOOOd 8~On8J-fitO 9rrOOAt Oi hh0
8u allowed udor tho law for tho flao41 par 0r 1944.a Tharorom,
WdBr th0 9rw1*10a* or s. B. 123 tho CouatJ Tr*r*ur0r any br
allmod a total ~axfaun ooon~rmtion of #2,925.00($2,340.00Q108
255) for &a fiBOA1 708? of 1946.
8lnoo thn prorialoaao? 8, II.123 do not apply to tha
OfflOOt OthB? 8h8A th0 OOUA~ wO8OUIWr rOtO?Trd t0 iXl kOtioXl
13 of Art1018 39121, the mnrl.mm oompenn8loa of 8u.h oiflnara
tOr tibrtiBOa1 w ot 1946 WOUM by aatonrind MUSE 8h~ rp001a
prorlalon of nord aaotlon rhloh authorlxra aa lnanrrr at am
poroont par ml~llon dollara or tnotlon tharroi, af ooorrby tax
valuationin 0x0180 of 815 bOO,OOO,OOrroordiq to thn laat
prnoodlng rpgpwod *ax roli (1945). iooord* to you latter,
I nlmtloa of %rt Band .ooUaty
,-a #32~,023,3~0,00.
rximn8 aompazuaUoa 88thorlwd roda? tia
of krtion 13, Art1010 39l20 ul be irronrrad
or &ha tiaoal par o? 1946. T~I ma, Wnmfore,
muham rompeaaatloawhloh mar be al&m& ier-
aald ofrloarr (UO8D*h.l6 f OOtUltF ‘IhO#tl?W) ia th8 flirti l88r
Of 1946 Wuld k $4,130.00 #3,500.00DlW lti)).
A0 b yOw qUO8tlOA OOACOrAiw t& MX~MULE 8818ry HO?8
drputy Oonrtabl8,wo call your rttontloa to tha ronoh ~ntatu-
tory pror1010a0:
hla trEura Of orfloa,
8aoh offic8r Mud harnln Who 18 OC4lQ~liOPtOd 011 a fO8 baai
8h8n anke, an prt of tho nport now raquirrd by law, an
it4miZOd aAd BWOrA BtJJt%Q8ntOf all bh8 aOtUB].8Ad MOwBary
8Xpensas incurred by him ln the oondunt O? his C??iC8.*
)I. . .Th8 amount of 8~larl88 pald to ae:latantsaml
deputlea shall alno be olrarly ahoWn by BuOh oicicer, glv-
11-4the name, pOB:,tlOn, and amount paid each; and ln no
avant shall any off1 cr ehoa any gr.zaterxm.r.t than ao-
tually paid any euch assistact or deptity. The axunt of
8UOh OXpen8.8, teether with the amount of solarles paid
to asslatants, deyutirn, Bad olerkn, ahan be pold OUt
of th8 it308 earnod by luoh o?fl:er.'
Artiolr 3902. V. -':.0. S.i
n;h8never any dlntrlct, courityor praclnot orricar
8han rsqclr8 thn snrvlc811or dnputlae, asnlstsntr, or clarka
.
942
HonoroMo SldnIy J. Srw - p868'l
in tha pufont~nor or hlr dutirr b rh8l.l apply to th8
Couatr Coanlorionar~~ Court of hi8 oounty for ruthorlty
t0
lpjdilt ruoh 48ptltl88, 88eifitcld8 Or elOrk8, 8tatlw
br aworn 8DdiCOtiOll th nuder nwdrd, the porltlonto
br l’ilhd M& th@ mount t0 b paid. SOid rDpli6atiOn
#iI k l8OOitDar.i8d br 8 8t8kmat rhOWia the p?OLdlrr
rierlptr iroa f888, OOMid8#1001 and 8arpoanSlon to b.
00uIOtd by raid OtiiOO th@ fha
a~~itkg p8sr’MC 7&O
prOb8hlr dlrbUrrrmlkt8 rhloh #kbll iE@ldO lll wu?i$#
and aXpaABa8 Or 8ai6 OrriOrl 8nd Uid 00~s 8bu mk0
it8 O?dW authorltln( tbr 8$ p Ointa
OflUI6
~h.'&pUst88,
l88i8ta ud
nN3Oh?k8 B a d
r iSth 8
OOE$ WU~OD
b k.
p 8i( l
thu d$hln tha llmitatS.oar hrnln e8erihd ma amr-
hrrrinarter rrt oat.
to tlu drputirs, irrlrtantr or 018rk8 lboro aamrd fa tholr . (
88W1088 8hd.1 b0 8 roa8on@ibl8OM, ROt t0 8IU8.6 t~~fOllOY,-
in& tmount8I. . "
at. In 6Wd.8 8 hsVl~& 8 wpIi8tiOn id 6lOat7-fbO
thOu8lmd ad On0 (25,001) @IidtA@tIcQr@thUi thktl-80-n
thoarmd, rlrr hundrrd (J7.500) inhabltantr, rirrt lrrlr-
tat or ohm baptlty not to rroed ?wo TaounnQ Dollar8
($2,000) par UUlU%) Other 88818t8nt8, da t1.r Or olrrkr
nd t0 UO.rd .?4VOlltO8n Bmbrrd DO118r8 par ~IWIJ
p(lt17001
88Oh..
“9. Th8 ccml83lrnar8 Court i8 hereby 8utkorizod,
wkan in thir jufg-?ent the financial condltl 0 or tlm
cOl;nty and the nacda Of the dclFUti.08, t8Si8t8lltS Sari OlsriSS
or any fii8triot, county or prroinot orfloor ju3tiry the
fnoreae8, to rntsr an order lncraaelng thr cozptneetim of
such ds:.uty, assistant or clsrk in en additional aaouzt not
to txcotd tw8ntpti70 (25%) par cent 0r thr 8UP tllowrd un-
daEtha 18W ior th8 fieCa1 r:ar Or 19L4, &eorlded th8 total
cosptnsation authcirized und6r the law rw the ri8CSi year
of 1944 did not trca,zd Thirty-six ‘%.mlred ($)itoC.OO)
DOll8r8."
-i8 not.0thst 38CtiZ3 9, quoted above, (S. 3. 123p
Honorable Sidn8y J. Brown - Peg8 8
Ut8 not UlitilEtJ' 9, 1945. Under th8 fOr8gOing pro-
8ff8OtiVt
vi8iOa8 Or
9 SeOtiOn
the i7U3XiMUJt MIOUDt Or 8MUai OOIILpWI88tiOn
8uthorlzod ror d.pUti88 under th8 law ror the ii8081 yerr 1944
(980. 2, Art, 3902) m8y b8 iaOr8888d by tW8nty-flV8 p8r 08Ilt.
In Vi8U Oi th8 rborr UOt8d prOti8iOn8, you 8I8 8dVir.d that
the m8xlmUa oomjmarat Pon rhloh nay b8 authorlard ror a fir8t
d8pUtY ooarkblr in rort Bead county, ror the rho81 year or
1946, 18 #2,500.00 ($2 000.00 p1U8 2%) Ub ior othrr dODUty
OOn8tabh8, $2,i25.O0 f$i,700.00 piU8 25%). We i&Uth8r 8811
t0 YOUr 8ttUltiOZA
th8t the Comai88lOIl8r8'
COUTt 18 WthOriS8d
t0 @atOr aa OrdO? inOrO88ing thr OtXIQaa8atiOa Or 8au OrriOer8
not to rroord tW8ntprlVo par ornt Ot th8 81111 tuthoriud Ud8l'
th8 18W for the ii8081 ye8r or 1914 88 OO~Q~lI8OtiOLI ror 8Uoh
68pUtr *v&on ia their judgment th8 fiMIiOiti OOnditim Or thr
OOUUty tad th8 nO8d8 Of th0 tbpUtiO8. . . jU8tifr th0 i~~0~0880~”
YOU W8 t&her 8dV18.d th8t t&l88818rle8r~f~rl'.d t0 in AZ-
tiol. 3902 a n o n l "Dar 8MUm" b88f8.
A8 to lw08im60r
YOUr quertloaooaoeralngthe travellag
th8 8Oartabl., ua nfrr you to our Opinion NO. 04666, whioh
u8 b@lLrr will ratiriaotorllp lansr rour queotlon. wr 8m
lnO108i45 8 OOpy Or 88ld OpiniOa rOr yOUr OoavMiOnu.
It 18 to be Und8r8tOOd th8t U8 8rO mot &-in p888ing
upon the oon8tltutionallty or th8t portloa or Subdlririoa 2
of Artiolo 3883, V. A. C. S., rerrrrsd to in your lrttrr 88
th8 prori8ion goreraing~the oomp8n8atlon or the oonrtables 0r
Tort Bend County, iOr that qU88tiOLl i8 aOt b&OX'@ U8.
Wr trlA8t th8t th8 rbor8 Md iOngOing Will 88ti8f8OtOrlly
aa8u.r your laqulrlrr.
Your8 very truly,
ATTOFESY GAL3d, OF 'DXAS
JL:?wb:W
aoloeure - 1