Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

,:.~ 764 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS AUSTIN dsoorlbed property: The 73rookablm %me, I! ~3~5 pager gubfiaisd at ZrookohLro, Zcsllor Sounty, Trzae, and tiirr preu1m5, tgp, iIqms1r.g stone, @lliQS, Surriitux~, film, aubocription llat ~0 eood wil.3, at’ a rental OS ‘i?tio I!ucdmd Forty iJol.lnrs (&Zi&,OO) to be paid in twr&+four Ln&ollmnto OS tan dollare (JU.00) each WBth, arid tlat prty of the moorAd part la to .Qva full um aixd sxmciue amtrol of the said i.wa~kshl.~ Tbt~a and reoeive end keep for her own um all euoJ~+ mntti, reveaw und rxaias of wI\etavsr Iricd %urlnG the tent OS ito oontraat. I;ho gorty of t:;e first pert furthor agwars to ~ivo the party OS t?ie t3ecoad part %ri opPion to purchase the above duscribetd g-ziparty six wntha oftar this contraat ia in aYhct. *‘Setton&. The party of thtt ssoond part' ioz t!m above aonafderatiorx,~ ts&reea to pay to the pnrtg af tha siret’ part the rmtol OS iWo Iiundmd C0rty 3ol.i.sra (;2&O,OO) ior the two $%ara, nt ten 4&1ai-s (~.lil.G~] Q math auxi.5g the texsi Of tkls cantraot. *'The party of the Clrat part agree to oaslst the pl’ty OS tfm oeoond gert; ,wfth sry miahanfofal.. trouble that ray develop In tha obovci aeotlor;&d mwapapar, Ourinf~ t-he shortu~e of 8uch~labor,. wRlttAoutany ex- pboes to the gartg 0r tk.e ~sEicioIid pmt. “A. 3. kndsroon ‘“wiry Ann Axllst~(l8.’ v&ereertw, lagxil notiaea; liu~h.a~ notiaes for blda, (for nntorialo to be purcheeed by ,tha oounty), were >ublloho& bp ‘TM 53roolrsllre ‘T%os, ’ UEC8 bill for suah oeryicas wea aubaitted to Lie oounty auditm for hi8 5ppOVOl. 3uoh bUls# Sor services e::d natoriala Sumirked the .00ufity on tha part OS '310 2rookahii% !i%as' w9&rO ti%ap~rOYtsd bs t&s OOUntjr&udit0&. I;nder your Opinion 6326, ~ivtm Sri raa20nao ta a recuent, for tm opfslion by the Zion0rnble 2. 4'. I!erixa, Jr., Courty Auditor, .rw aall attmtlon to Article 231+0, Vercoats itri5atst4 statutes, which prqvide*s aat: ** . . .the oounty Judge asd imoh oo~iaaloocr ahall take a written oat& thzt he villl not Sa r / I i / 767 *This lntmpret%tlon ts funde&ntally contrmry to all our lmfs, ard it is, thorar’oru, ap;:srsr,t that the Only Question itiVOlVd4 I5 xr;etk:cr Or Lot ti:s tan ($10) dollars *wr moiit?: raacivb4 by Gudr~oAixieroon ror the rent ~of *T’he ~!,-ookshlr% ??u7".53*is on omlW*ot or edoonta(:% received in conoldarotian for any bid, proposal, controot, pirchaea or 5sle accruing fsora the operstiw of *The ~roo%ablreTlzes~ by Us leaaQ%* *It la -a,y opinion that, in the abaetoa or ~:soof to the cJoatmry, if will riot Iv.3 43suiicld tb3t the donorable A. 3. .&&eram roouivas ba3efits uithsr directly OT indirectly flwl any oontroat botiwm %‘ellsr couaty snd *?hQ mookehira Y=iraea,* or any enoluz;er;t or ncivantq:o fron any bib, 7jmo:osal oolltraat, sal% of mterial, aarvi~a. or supjAm ~. . By *The’Wookshire T&m* to ;ial.kir County. 91 have been unable to tiad any cssss h support ‘.ioi the vlaw taken by the county auditor an4 dean it umeaeseary to ptmts authorltiee Fn oupgort 0: t&s fUn4amttal propoeition that th%re coti14 Bc A0 abri&~exxnt of th0 r&tit of omarahlp ~4 the dttafiding right to foa8% or rent ~roP;ertle5 bsloa$- ing to a oitizan ueroly because ::e he4 bean ulaatcd to maw ss s pblio 01Xio1el. Ludeed, Ft would aaeia that li ?sa mot 5.n~~ilge lrA tiny aaswapt10na, the confibence BeWoss4 upon bin by tho @ao>l% would justify &issuiAng that LO benos’its accrue to him other t~han those which are inoiccmtal to the owmrahip of hia yroy~rtloa.~ . .._ "A ocntract which wotid'~ive hla (the publlo offlolel) 831 i,ztdrsEt l& an ofriolsl act to bf3 Goat by bin would bs ropu&%ast to i.aw t&l ~uouad BwTeuty. * * *Vu . - I. 769 . ., case of no member or trie city couccil or any other otrtcer OS 8 cor~oretion 6hctll '3~1Girwtly or i&frectlY lntaroetad to rpny cofitraot, tt;e considuraticn of which is pld frm tLe city tm;i(BSurY. i "nle fore&;oicc: ruleirests upxa aouca yablio polloY. 1ta ohje43t la t3 alsurLt to tn.3 city strict fidalltg upm the part of ttioao vf:io report- a5nt it end m.iiap3 it8 afi;ilr8. '?Se rile arc).. hlbltlq public ~,2ifcers 2roz being icterafited in pC.Aic contraate should bo seru~uL.ouslY enloroed .+' nrcrrad to, &r&based U~D&aowd pbltc yolicy. TLm object 18 to lnaure 20 th0 cwuty rrtrict fldclitp upm the, cart of :.:36e WbU.CSGU3~;0 its f"iQccil &Saifo, CU.iri $hi2 Z*dlCt ;ZiSlibitillq; ;,>llc offlcialn rr34 being Lotareated in pabiia CailEzriCt8 0:0tia btr acrtipu.louulY ur:f+orced. It is our O~lnlOL, ~~WSVftx+* C&t the situation outLlmd in your ltrttttr &es not coxo wlttiin tia prvlew of said Art. 373, r.vr within tt;e ruiao VT law laid b!irn in the o@iio~3 s3ferred to. Tbiu nu~thoritiera 8x3 praa- :::61Lly u.aanUous to t.;-zt:fa,rfeot that i:rs olPlcors,to ba little, ;cnt Law an iAt0i*Stg dirO0tig or Lr;di;wctly* 3.2 tnfs sUbjesct zatter of ths cwtriwt. h remote cceti.n~wioy will not bring ~14 OfLClows within the 5tPltutae. or tha rules laid doip in ad 0;rini011e. Tie Taaa rule ia well statvd in 3L Ye%. Jurt +ae 72, pp. 649-450, w3lch reaCs 861 followe: *kn 0Pirlcer ia prot~bltod rro;;l 3oti,ru3 in his Official a&p&city 89 t0 nattars hi rhlch ha MS U lntiarest. cvn8~icuoua exan?~lss of Suc~h;jrohlbltions are tkoae whiatl forbid judps Pm% Sipting ti any .' aaae, end h?w.bera of the ao~isslonarclt court fron pwticlprtttng in t&e cofisideratior; of ezy clglin in *blah they are iatorustsd. Jut to CVFiualthln the? rule the of21cer~s intereat imst bu d:raot a;?d aertalri; tie is not dis~s~ilif15d by on rrl.le~_;ed &metary ir.termt w::icti ia at Llil)Otcontinga?.t, naa my nat iu. fact sriat at all." . rt0n the 8uthoritie6 8b0v~ ~rerr~d to, WS)826 or tke 0+1on that there ~I.11 b0 no olc2tlon ot ony lew in pqing far the le&. vlotioee rerttmu to, iinleaa coUu5ion or frmd PI rhown a8 to ttie csunty ju0~3 h , nFn,oe CA0 faote aiutad do tat ahOW t&St t::a OOLlBt~ $A&&% iI&8 S?:f i&Atareatifl tha BUCU3 ;rQl themror.