OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
G- c.MA””
l-n GLIIsnAL
Honorable Wolan Queen
Crlminel Dlstrlot Attorney "'
Parker Coucty
matherrord, Tmis
Dear Sir:
Your reQu44t fox 4n r80alv4a uad
carefully aonslder6d by
~cequeetas Folloqsr
0 S$ls* seetirrn
Coart to tix
abatement Of factt3,
tho coDppf4slOn4~4'
he Shd.ii~llti
Yok-&v~ also tan US the fuz'therinio'rolatfonthat
the sh4tirr ~44 dll0~4d 4x-0tfi4iO 00~1 4neatlOn ior
the ,fisoalyear 19sb ena that tble amount wu3 ]Pnclu&d ln the
tote1 rlmelgts or $5,227.%8;
The go~ul4tiOn Of Btrkar County, T4x44, ~OOordf!@
to the 1WO Federal Geneus, was 3&780 lnhubitants,find
salary at $GS,2136.16 the amount aaraed as salary
by the aounty clerk of said county in 1935. Later
In 6abl month, January Xat, at e aall session
of seaidaourf, his snlary ma fixed %t f?i,RSOpar
p46r. On January 11, 1937,,tha a~omltseioasrs*
oourt in ragular session fixed hla salary at
&5,000, for that ygsr;and on Jaauaay 10, LW8,
said couzt fixed his salary at $S,OOO for aaid
year. !Chluwits$286.16 leas than the miaimum
rralaryfor 1935, and @SO 1-s than the a&my
aa flxod'bythe order of JaaUary 31, 1956. Ap- '
peUe4 prayed dud&x&at for @92.S2, the differ
aace batwean the $3,000 gsr year;for lBa9 and
L(i38,aad the rpiniitws~of ($S286.16 as fired by
the ordsr of'Jaduary~l.21946 or In the alter&i-
tire, tar m.g1~0ntfor boo $i the imler oi Yea-
qtmy Sl, .lSW, pnaqwd at:thq~o,all.sd s~e~on be
faurid‘prop.ar. phs J@$#i+w&a ltor@5wLse.
: *8'oxhlak.a)~4 ordar flixic&'app4llur*s salary
earnings ia'l885) en6 that being shim& to hapi)
been $%,2&%6.16, thn coml11410~4ra~ oourt did not
b4v4 the authority to ignorerthis statutory pro-
rimIon of mlalaum salary and fir the aalarg at
W,000. 234 provisions, or the etatuta authorlz-
iQg thk 05lfd.4~15A4~S' OOUti to fix the S&hrr at
any mm not 148s then a oertain mlaimum, aad not
~5~4 thsn a sertsain 3mdm3~1, are mandatory, aiiiT
eould not be ignored by the membera z~fthe aorurt'
at th4l.r dioarutlan. The Or&a firing apgella4*0
#alary at $Zi,iiOO
wat?without autho&ty, findw
void."
To the eeme effeot eeo Barogdoohe8County r..J'inklas,
t\pp.,writ retuaed, 14C S. U. (2) QOl.
Upin5on Ho. 045858%OS ti.iebepa-daenthol6s, am~pg
other thinga,. that the ohenge in tha .opulnticnof Tr6vir
Cynty, tf~xas,as shown by tha.Bxlera I:Cansus of 1840, bed
no effect-upoa&ho s2&iMei of,the aitstrs~t, county elldpre-
olnot oftlwrs or Bald county;ond thet the minimuinasalary
of such en officer oould not ti lees than the tot& cum earned
as oompeneation.&ythe iucumbeut af th,:-.offfe~ In his airi-
clel 6tjpaoity.fox the fieoal ye.nr19SS onG thzt the maximunr
-s%lakyaould tit be l~ore.tban'the,marLrnuP~naountallowed euah
incumbentunder laws~exietingon August 24, 1939,'and eLaae
the lV30 Federel Census we8 than in effect euoh aeneu8 rae
contro115n& be onoloee herenith a aopy allapinion No. o-2982.
.
,fnthie histan the population or rarker cOun*,
.Texae,ye,Xena t&ah ZXi,OCiO inhabitanteaooordlngto both thhs
1930 ena ~194a,Fedewlconeuees..
0 lnlon xo. O-345 of thle Ua~rt.&k. holds thef un-
der tbs OSf4oers' Salary Law, the LWtriat Glark of Lkaeittim
,C~iurLy,~~~~.waa‘s'iititled to *aat .lsssthan tha lx&al eue~
eernsd as.oonpem4atSonapsther than wm sash 00iieOtea* ar
yeaaned uti6colleatedd*, and~in arriving at the corraet,aieLswa
.salaryto to paid aaid offloor, the oommlueionere'court shculd
consider~th&tia totaL'of both foes, the oollectedand un1$01-
1eoted;:to#hiok 'he.wouldhavebeon le~allg~on~tled $07 the
yeeq193Is. Tiioop5nion~:altWhol@ that in ;ooq~uti@& said
olerk~s'&U.&y the'. wmalerionsra.?~ awrt should .dkau& from
earned, oalls6teU.land unoolleoted,the
the t6te.locuripen~a~~on~
expeneea of the otfke Z'orthe year 1935, whlchnere legally
allcked by the.~onrafeeiirtrers'ociurtfor th%t year. ml an-
clotie8 copy of :o&&lon HO. o-345,.
The caao.ot Aoderson Ccwity v. Hopkills,187 8. W.
1019, holds t&et-er-otrlciooompaneotioncannot bh reerdea
as ~8x0886 fwm* waler Article 3001, V. A. C. Y.
,. ?ltbls~thi feote et&&d the offioitllearnings ot the
Sh8rifP.in19SS uere $b,E27.90. mppea~8e OS m-ice or #qszo.OO
deauat.64f&a ~0 tottillsavas 8 balanoa of &3,907.9& Sin00
’ t&e $3#G.O0 es-cSficSo compensation cannot be rtxgtadai¶
as
"exeees fees* under Article 3S91, siupre,earadah&&I aleo bo
deduoted, leaving a bel.aoe of @T,607.98, whiok bulen&e eon-
stitutasthe total smarnt of fees for the yeer 19Zl8.From the
sum or we deduot S.2,400.00
$3.609.98 (the 8heriff's first
mxinurr.unGsr i.Ftlole3883, V. A. C. 8.. sUpX%z)leaving a
br:lanceof $l,ZC9.W as escesa fees. We dlvlao the @1,207.98
oxooss fme by thrrc (under Wtiolo 11891,aupre) whloh makes
aac; the ~ece.66 to the &,400&O
'he! whlo:r mskw
g$;;:&. To this ia alma added the ox-otfioiooompeneation
of ~900.00, whioktm&es tha sum of #3,108.66.liewevlr, under
h~iols 9001, supra, tho arcoad or final maximum salary ie
#J,OOO.OO?or auoh Sbedff.
flndar,thef&a ett,tsdthe salary ot the she&S
ahould be tired at exaotly $J5;OOOi(xf--pbitherlllurenor l.eso.
vary truly yours
BY /a/
Wm. J. Farmim