Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE AnORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Honorable Charles R. Xartln County Auditor Harrison County hrshall, Texas. Your request for op reoeited and oare- f'ullyOonaidored by this dope of0 rr0m your re- quest as follows: lontis sleet and on* Road and Eridge Do- lowiry manner: The lopsea mother me Would it be a violation of aw for the County Commissioner eleot to tote ror, appoint, or oonflrm the appointment or an employee of the Road and Bridge Department of the CotUW who is a second oousin by ooneanguln- lty, and one who is a third cousin to the oommis- sioner by Oonsanguinlt~. “. . . .:’ Eonorabla Charlee R. Martin, Pwa 2 Art1414 432, v4m0n’o b0t8t0a Te~48 P404~ c0d0, reads am followat *wo oftioar oi this stats or any oftlear of a8iy ooauty, oity blatriot, graoinot, aohool dlmtrlot, otothar arrnlolpelaub&lviJonof this Stak,or may otiiser or amabar or may 8ta&a, dlatrlot, aoua- tf, oltr, sohqcd Uatriot o*,ethar mudolp41 b0u4, 00 Ja&ao~ot my oorirt, oruwa br or rmd8r author, itr Of 84 6SWl-d or S lOi& .&U Oi bhla State, Or aat amber 06 tha Leg18 !a tqr0 ah4ll appoint, or Yota tu, or aollfla the~appofOfw*m $0 any ottioe, a.~0;. 8OObiOm3 n~~'rs~b,'md535. Opti& ;o.+&i ii this~aputmant holds that tha rplommt by om eomrty owmlaalonar ot tha neph8u of another Honorable Charles R. Martin, Page 3 oounty oommlsalonerto be paid out of county funds would be in violation oi Artlola 432 or the Penal Cod4 0r this state. Opinion No. O-556 of this departm4nt holda that It would ba a ~IolatIoa or Art1014 432, Penal Oode or Texas, ror a oouuty 40afaiaalon4r 0r on4 pr4olnot of a oouaty to appoint as overaaor the nephew or th4 ooamisnionarof another pr4oInot or the oounty, or ta hire a relative wIthIn the prohibitedds- gr44 of another oosnlsaloner of the oounty to repairroad ma- ahlnery of tha oounty rrhen 1x354was to be paidout ot'oounty runda. Opinion Ho. O-2925 of this departakeatalso holds lllagal the eaploymtmt by 050 oounty oonmlaalonerof the brother-in-lawor another county oommIsaIoaarror road work to be paid out of the road and bridge ruada ot tha oouaty. Under t!14 faots statad in qaaatlon Ao. 1 the aop- mlenioner and #a amployar are related within the bird dagree. W4 ammum tram yourlatter that thla relation la by ooaaaagu5~ Ity if thla assumption b4 oorr4ot it la our opinion that the 4s~ioymnt would be 1114gal and your question ahotildbe an- aw0raa in tha arrlmaitl~a. In aamer to your twaond question it la our oplnIon that th4 4mplopmat of tha aaaond aoualn, who Is related afth- ln the third days8 to the oounty aosumlsalonsr by eonsanguln- ity* would be illegal, but that tha 4laployarsntor tdls oounty oommiaalonarta third eousln, ralatad to him rithln the fourth dagraa by ooneangtlinity, would not ba lllogal. Vex7 truly yours A'lTORNEYQEBew OF TEXAS !Yn.J. Panning Aaalstaut