Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

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 . _ ,.., c _, . - .~ - . , . 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 . . . . 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