OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
r00d and a ep00irioamount for guarding prIaimuar
or, la it nao~aaaiy that the aotual aoata of keep-
ing the Jail bo tumed in as an upenae or otiioa
and paid mt or the orri00r8salary runtI.*
saotion is or hrti0i0 4918a, VU~OII*S AMowed
TONS Clyll Statutoa, rude as iollowa:
-300.'is. The 0omlaaIonera~ a0Prt in oowtlea
having a population or twenty thousand (80,000) ~JX-
habitanta or mora and .laes than 0110 hundred and
ninety tihouaand (~00,000) Inhabitanta aooomllng to
the la+ praoedIn& Federal Oenaus,~Is hereby author-
ized and it hall ba Its duty to fir the eala~f~f;~oi
au the r0ilorirrg 8buk0dorrioem, to-tit:
aaaoeaor and aolleotor 0r taxes, oounty juaaa,00&y
attornop, inoludllrg OrImlnal &latrIot attonaa~r and
oounty attomoya who perform the duties of dlatriot
attorneys,dlatrlatolsrk, oounty olerk, treaaurar,
hide end a-1 lnepeotcir,Eath or said 0rri0er8
shall bo pald in money an aprrW1 salary In twelye
(18) equal iMtallalenta'ot not~leaa than the total
mna eern~~~aa~o~pon&atlon'by hl~~ln hIa offlola
aapaoity ror the ri6Ni year 1955 antj not more than
the maximum amount allowed ~auoh o@oer undar law@
lristlnlg on Ala&uat 84, 19ss* * . . .
5eotion 1 or Art1010 385s. v. A. T. a. 6., was tha
law in tome on August u, 19S5, and ncrd8 as roiiw8;
.
%roept as otherwlaa pro~ltlsb in this Aot, t&
annual iwa that may be retained by prvoinot, oounty
and ai8triat~0rri.o0r8 mdntiand in thie Artlois 8h8u
be a# rollowa:
"1. In 00tmia6 0m~ining twenty rive (25,000)
thousand or lees, lnhabltanta: County Judge, ~latrlot
or Crrrainal DietrIot A$tornoy, Sheriff, County 01-k.
County Attorney, Diatrfot Clerk, Tax GoUsetor, Tax
Assessor, or the Aaaaaaor and Qolleotor ,ot Taxes,
lkmnty-roar IRmdrod (&4Q~.oO) Dollars eaah* Juatlas
of the Paaor and Conatablo, Twelve Hun&e6 ($11200.00)
bollara ea0h.l.
Article 3891, V. ~A. T. C, EL, wee the law fn tOroe
on Aluglet 84, 1935. We quote from aald artlalo a6 r0ii0r8:
Honorable Jaok Borden, Pago 8
aoh orriou asmad in this Ghaptu shellflrst 5.i
out or the ourrontrM8 Or his errloe wy or be pefd
tha amount allowed him under the provIsIons of ArtloX
5885, together with the ralarlea of his la a Ia ta nta
and deputies, and authorlrml arpenaw under Artlals
3899, and tha amount nooeef~ry to owu ooata of pre-
mium on whatever surety bon4 may be roqulrd by law.
If the ourrent r0a8 0r auah orriae oollected In any
year to be more than the eaount needed to pay tbe
amounta above specified, aaaa shall be deemed lxaeaa
reds, and shall be dlaporod of in tha aanner here-
Inarter provided.
“In 00untie0 00ntazDing twenty-rir0 thousand
(83 000) or lees inhabitants, Diet&at and County
0rfioers na3ned.hereIe shall retein one-third 0r 8uoh
exoeaa~reea,uatIl suoh, one-third, tmther with the
amountm 8 eclf’led In Art$als 5888, aakounts to Thrao
Thoiasend gollera ($S,OOQ),. . . .*
0plnIon810. 0409 (oonrerenaa opinion Ho. SOs2s) or
this depertsent holds that the Caaraieslonera* Oour+ln flxlng
the aInla= aalarloa of oounty at~orneya under the otlIoora*
ralery bill should oonalasr r8ea %arnedn by the Orfloer# la
lOi55 rathar than frea *aolleotodW In that year;
Opinion No. O-7* 0r this department holds that ln
1 dstem&iIng *the total sun earnod as oompmaatlon for the year
1935”, for the purpose or arrlvln(( at the aiInlaua’aalary to be
paid the. county attorney, that the Oauslaslonere~ Court should
dsduot fro0 the total ooapeneatlon earnod, oollootrd and un-
o~flmotml, the oxpenner for the offlae tar the yaar 1955, *hIoh
w&e legally allowed by the Oomm.iaaionera~ Court lor that yeer.
We quote rr0pr said opinion aa ronoffs:
-hire wae no provlofon of the statute guara&ee-
1~ the offlaer he should rlret rrarlve the amount
allowed under the prorlalons of artlale 3883, so the
ortloer bed to pay authorized expenditures out er
the runas, coring Into hlr bands, Imapeotloe or
whethor.t&e unount msatlonsd fn the artlola was earnad
.or oolleoted, Theref’ore, the *total a= earnrd as
arJtllpenaatIon by him* wee the net total earned after
payment or hia axorieed expenneei. The Leglaleture
did not ltl.pllate *earned by the office* but rather
gearned~by him. **
Bonorabla~Jdok Borden, Page 4
On Deoember 3, 19S7, this depaz$ment held In an op-
Inlon-wrltteq .by ,Eouorable James W. Isrfti, Aealatant Attorney .
0enera1, addreseed to Mr. IFa. J. y&aIng, dounty Attorney,
Hopklna County, Texas, that lh arriving rt the.oorreot a1nlmu111
salary to be paid oounty orflasra uador the ofiioar8* salary
bill that the O~l8dOner8' Court should oonaldsr the amount
of rem3 earnad and unoolleotea, ao well as to08 aolleat6d ror
wlbaYeer 10SS. This opinion rurther held that an ex-orrIaLo
ry paid to an orrlaer for the fear 1493 should b a cons~er-
64 I n arrivinn et the %meOt aPlnImulato be paid such ofiloar.
We qUofe trOm the oaae Of Haoogdocbea COUnty '1. '#In-
der, (Beaumont Court of Civil Appeals) 140 S. W.'(Rd) 97R (wrIt
refused), aa r0iiw0:.
wi0.rou0wing iaota are without dlaputer
Appellea, Winder, waa the duly elect@, qualified
and loting County Clerk or Xaoogdoohea County dur-
ing the yeare 1937 and 1935. l?aoogdoohea County was
under the salary aot law, Artlole S@lRe, aeotlan lS,
Vernon*e Ann. Clrll Btatutea, end Art1010 3SQl, R.C.S.,
Vernon*8 Ann. CIT. 8t. art. S89l. Under theaa stat-
uary 13, 1996, at a regular aeaelon or the CoamIaaIon-
era' Cart, an order was entere4 by aald oourt rlxlng
appelles*s eelery at $3,%36;16, the amaunt earned aa
mlary by the county judge or aala county in 1OSS.
Later la said month, January dlst, at a called sen-
elon Or said court, hla ealary.xea fixed at )a,550
per year. On January 11, 1937, the uotmIs~ionere*
court in regular aeaslon rlxed his salary at $3s,000,
for that year, and on January 10, 19-, aald oourt
fired hle salary at $3,000 for aald ye&r. Thlu was
leaa than tha alnIa~tm nlary rar 1933, and
80 leas than the lulary as rlred by the order ot
January bl, lQS8, Appa&lee ptiyed judgment ror
#57e.se, the dlf'ferenoe betwee@ the $8 000 per peer
ror 1937 and 1988, a&d tha mInimum of f3,l?S6.16 as
rise4 by the order or January la, 1936. or &n the
lltvnatlre, ror judmnt r0r $700. or the order or
January 51, 1936 peesod at the celled aoaslox~ be
roundproper. T&e Jud@ieat was iOr 8S7R.58.
Honorable Ja& Borden, PIlee 9
*W. think thm order riX%IIg ~ppOllOO*fi! 8atiry
made 8.t the re@ar t&m of Jmuiary 13,,lQS6, wa8
In a,oaordanoe with the lar;and that the amoUnt then
rlxed as the annual sala- of appmllw, #S,s!36.16,
under the fa~ots and the law *aa pro er, und 1s oon-
trollinn here. Artlale SQl2e. f on 1S.
+
MiiclLs SBQS, VWmuP8 Aunotated Foxam a1vi1 atat- :
'utes, r&a40 as r0li0rr8:
“The Qtmmlssdonar~* Oowt 18 heroby debarred
frgn atlowlaa oamuwatloa r0r 02.0rfiof0 86rvlaoe
to oounty OrfiOi616 rhdn the oomponeation an4 exoew
..feea whloh ther are allowetd to~rataln @ha12 reaob
: the mxlmw providedfor in this @taptar. In aasoi
rhnro the oanpumationand ‘exaos8 faw rhleh the o+
floerm ,are8llomd to re!taln rhall ,aot. xeaoh thk mu-
bum prwlded for In this ohaptar,the aoimlsdbnarr~
a ur l
th p 3.l
8um ooap0n8atlon ror OX0rri0io mm-
lees whoa,, in tiulr judgment, cuoh oon&mmatfon 18
noamiary~ prorldad, 8uoh o~ponsatlon ror ax ofriafo
renloes ellowad anll not inoreaeothe oampqnutlon
0r the 0fmiai b0 and the maximum 0r oompcrnsatlon
and sxaeis8 reou a J owed to be retained by hlm under
this chapter. Prorl4od, however,the OX offiolo here-
in authorized shall bo allowed only attsr an oppor-
tunlty for a publfohearing aad only upon the 4hrrwtk
tlvr rote or at.Leest three members oFthe commleaion-
ora' aout.*
Optnlon Ho., O-S%96 of th$a d@partmsnt aoataina a par-
tinant di$ouslrleu 0r ox orri0i0 salaries ap lloable.to oountiee
having a population or 1.e~ than I)S,OOQkaktaata. we quota '
rro5 8ald opiulon a6 r0ii0w02
H&orable Jaok Borden, Page 6
"In answer to your inquiry, you are a4rlsed
that It 18 th!, opinion of this department that the
ox-otfiolo oompensatSon or the oounty olerk must bo
oonsldereti and aeoounted for in arriving at the max-
lmum annual acmpensatlon of said clerk. The clerk
8h8n riret out or the aumtnt rees of his orrlas
pay or bs pal4 the amount 8110wed Na under the pro-
vialona or Artlals 319W5, togethar with the salaries
of his a8818tants and deputies, and authorized ex-
pon8es under Artlole SE399 and the amouut aeae8sary
to ooter the o,ort or pro&m on wbaterei surety bond
imf be required by law. It the ourrent res8 Or OUO~
oflioo aollaoted In any year be more than the amount
neodrd to paf the amounts above speolfled the sama
ahall be 4e~n.d lxoa88 iass and the olork lrr palmitt~d
to rstafn one-thir4 or suah excess rsee until 'such
one-third, together with the amounts spdialrled In
Art1010 38fSsI amount8 to $S,OOO.OO. In other word8,
the county o&k fs entitled to retain ail the aom-
pansation allowed by Artlole 3883 together with the
ona-third ax0088 rm8 allowad:by ktlole 8891 until1
8uch One-thlrci, togother'wlth the amount spedrIo
la Artlole sW3S, amount8 to ~,000.00 par annum. fr
tha coapenaation allowed uadar Artlols S&S and the
lxoe88 fwr allowed under Artlole &?Qr 40 not roaoh
the M- Or #S&NO.OO per annu8, the Oommls8loa8~*
Court Is euthorirmd to per the aletk an ex-afflaio
ocmpenmtlon, prorl484 8uoh ocaipentitlon, together
with the reoa retain.4 by Na un4er APt 01.n sms
aa4 3891, 4oe8 not amount to more than t 8,OOO.OO.
Thore caa bo ao exoesa roe8 until the amouat or $$3,400r
.OQ 18 reaohos and the 4sduotion8 whloh are allowed
by law are 8sde. To llluetmte, the oaunty clerk am-
not take $1 400.00 a8 re8s under Art&ala W38s an4 thea
a44 the $l,bOo.oO OX-OrflOiO'~~O~DUR8atl~n to make a
total or &,lOO.OO an4 th8n pay,all tee8 oomlng into
the orfloeas are authorize4 by law are axuess tees,
and that he Is antitled ta one-third or the cam. In
abort, beiom tha olazk 1s entitled to any exots~ few
under -Artt6ls MQl he must first resolve as fees the
amount or #2,400.06 not tnoludlng any pert of the ex-
orrio c anwtlon af't@? making the legal beduo-
tion8 aa al =f owed by law and after thi& amount has
been roached then the alsrk 1s entitled to one-third
,oi 8Uoh exoo811 tee8 88 provided by Article 9891 an4
aa above stated If this dosa not reach the total mex-
is&umOr &3,000.00 per annum, the CoPBiaslouars* OotIrt
raay in its discretion legally allow an ox ofYlolo OEB-
peneation provided such oontptmaation, together with
Honorable Jiok Borden, Page 7
the fee8 retained uudsr the abwi mentioned artioler,
does not 8xoeed #5,000.00 per aunum.*
me report you lR OlO8ed rhloh you state is a oor-
reat oopy or thenannual tee report filed by the sherirr 0r
Parker County ror the year 1935, dlscloaa8 that the tot81 r668
emno by the ,sherlrf (oolleated and uuoolleoted) mounted to
the sum or @5,227.9& The report iurther ahor OX~MeS or
OrrIce (wNah we a88un~e were properly authorized) a#wtMd to
the SUBl.Of 5.072.70. The dlrrersnoe between these SUIM 18
the SUM Or 0 2,166.28, whloh f0 Iella than the $Z,400.00 MX-
IBUB allowed by Artlole 2588s. supra. Thw we aoe that tha
8heriff earned ILO*exoeaa rees".under Article SISQlfor.tbe
year 1965. .Tho ~Ommi88iOtl6rS'Oourt h84 authority at that t&m
to lll8u the sheriff u-offlcli~ canpetmatlon and did allow hir
6X-OffiOiO COBpUW4tiOll in the SUII Or ,@t%%k. ~Thi8~4300.00
ex-orrIo aomp6nsatlOa should be ad404 to the $2,185.28,rclfer-
yh~gatbove in arr+dag at the oorrsat lpinlprum salary of the
.
US thW0rOl-0 hold, in an8Wer t0 yOUr ihOt ~U~StiOll
fhat the 005%e81O&Wl%' COtU%=St SOt th6 88lal.y 6f th& ShSPhf
0r~Parw County ht not less then $2,4sS.28 and,not mm fhan
$S;OOO.OO ~ranntm.
x0'& BOOOn :qU.#t~Oll 1S~llB8W8nd by 0DiniSU 100.
O-122$ of this department, rhioh hold8 that,in 8?3lery e~~tSe#
the.amS8i6IiOP8’ aoprt'h88 no ~authorit to oontmot with.wi8
sheriff as outlined ,lMO, V. I . T. a. C. P.; ald
by .AFtiole
allOW him a,Sp6O~ried SUB rO2 thCMrskMpir& r66dhg and
mlntenanoe or prisonerr and that the Sheriff may only be al-
lowed hi8 aotual upen8ei inoum84 1.n the reding or prlsonors,
and lf there im. 8ny profit, the Sherfff Should deposit the 88m
in the 0rri00rd oduy m4. We enole8e herewith a aopy Of
said oplnloa .r0r your inrornratian.
very truly PurS
. APPROVBD WT. 6, 1941 ATTOEZ?ZYOENERAL OPTBXM
/(I/ OfOVer 8~~0~8
BY
FIR!:T
ASSXSTAWT APTORWBYOXWERAL /f’/ -0 ";,f"ia
wJ?:OO