OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
Baroh 1, 1930
Bon. rred 8rlmaa
Dirtriot Attorney
Longvlor, Texar
“It any ottlorr of any OOunty..e,
rball broom0 la any mannor poounluily
lntrr*rtd la any eontraotr rub by ruoh
oountf,r..rthrough It8 allentm, or other- . .
w110, tar the oonrtruotiorr or rapair ot
lnr brldgr, road rtrwt, alloy or house,
or any othor war i unabortakrn by luo hoounty,
.,..shall Moore . lntorootod i8 ant bid
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Roa,.Prod 3rlmaaa. Yarob 1, 1939, Pa@ 8
or proposal for sooh work or la the putabme
~10 ot sayt~lq, 72660 tor or oa rooount
:: suob oountf, . . .or who shall oontmet tor
or reorlrr ray monq or property, of the
reprssrntrtlrr or dttrr, or any moluamt
or advantage ~hatsowo? in oonslderatloo ot
suoh b14, proposal, oontraot, porohase or
salo, ha shall ba fined not less than flit7
nor more tran flre hundnd dcllars.*
Thr toregoing statutes arr 86666 apoa som4
pub110 polioy. 'Iho objeot 1s to lnsuro to th e loumtr
strlot fldellty upon the part of tho86 rho mm 6 ita
tlsoal rftrlrs. The rule prohlbltlag pobllo ot f loom
froa belag lnterrsted In publlo oontraots should be
sorupulous~~ lafor666~
The authoritloo are praatioally uaaalmous to
the offrot that the offloor to be 113ble, mumt bare an
interest (dlnotly or ladlrootl 1, la the rubfeat -utter
ot tha aontraot. A r6Sote aoat 1ngrnot~rlll aot bring
#aid oftlarr within the statutos~
The Toxss rule 18 roll ltate4 la Taus Jurlo-
prudenae, a6 follws~
*An oftloer 1s prcblb~ted rroa l atlna
ln k-is offlalrl aapaoitg as to aattorr In
chloh ha has so intOr#ot~ Cons louour exam-
plrs of saoh prohlbltlons are t ! 060 whloh
forbidr.~.~ember6 of the oomsl6slon6r6~ oourt
from ooa6ldrrat~oa of lnr olala la vtiloh thy
are lntwortrd. But to oomo rlthla the rule
tho Otfioer’6 lntere#t must b6 dlreot and
aertala; ho 16 not dlsqualltlrd by an allo@
soaetary.~ntrtest rbloh 1s at most oootla-
gent, ind may dot 16 tr o tlxlst at rll.o
34 tax. fur. 499, 878. \
Corpus Jut16 stator the law to BOX 1
*A peoualary lntrnst lo the aoatraot
blreot or lndlrogt 18 hold to oow rlthln
tbo prohlbitlon....Aa lntor66t to laralldato
the oontraot qurt k o f l p a r so na l or prltato
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Ron. ?rod Jrlmaa, Yaroh 1, 1939\ P6(o 3
.
nature.,..It must ba an latrrrst la
jrot mtter ot tha ooatraot ltselt 66 als-
tfnguiSh@d irOt6OUtS~dO 1IitOrO6t6Of the....
offloor lnoldratally aftrated by the makfn(j
ot the ooatraot." 44 0. Se OS, para, 81%.
Ia thr OikSOof bity of Gdlaburg vs ~1116, 60
m (,8d)99 the Coain1661oaOt Apprals la 6 rotailer'r
6otion a&a Inut thr 6lty iOr a talanoo duo on 6n opaa
roaount, held the question of whrthrr a olty aomm~srloa-
lr rho sold 6uppll66 to rat611 dealerr, and rho sold
suoh 0up911a6 to t:r retailor brlnglog the lotloa, ~68
a taot qu~#tiOa, tfnally dotorelaable oaly by 611 th6
lttondrnt olroun6taa00se It traud aad oollu6loa ooul4
b6 6hown, tho oontraot would b6 M illegal oni.
PrCm the author1t166 quoted, supra, 10 are Of
oplaloo the aounty would not be praoludad from aoklng
puroha6e6 from the t1111ag statioa in $uest1oa, aad that
therm would be no rlolatioo ot rlthor statute you olta,
unle66 aollusloa and traud be provable as to the ocm-
al66lonor lftootrbr
Vary truly gourr