**OFFICE OF**  **THE AlTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN**  **QRO ”**  **t?R**

**slxLEp** ***T10111cY**

GmcnAL Honorable

U. It. BaldriQe **District Attom8y**  Denton,tuae Deer Sir:

give Die

your op qlmtion, to-wit:

**Porn a**  **800. 0** lion.

Y. L Baldri~ - Pqe 2

&&ibl. **offdor perwn**  

### y anjr 6alu-y fee of e Ineligiblr

.* "The Sheriff of Demon Count the salaryoystimand the automob xi Texn6,work8 un&r 06 which ere provided for the u6e of %he SherifS and tie deputier

6s-e 0-d -by

**aoid** DsntonCouuty. The ~&xpeueee of Qt. Oper**ation** of the Sheriff to autamob$lea

uy). paid by Da&on Tbo Sheriffhas l

stabllehed

the auata~of

retalloutletein De~tvni "The, Sheriff and hie deput$e6 buy the gy(oline

for the countyowned cers and charge 6eme to Dentm C0unt.y. At the end of the month the salea tickets are to the Coaaisafoners* Court and they em paid y Denton t= eaented County. nTho oon of the Sheriffogrratoa a gasoline

station in thie city on a comi6sion baaie, The Sheriff~ci .aon io the mnqec of the st#Son whiah is ownedby a laej~r oil cxlpan nnd ho make6 a profit 03 each galX.lon f Caeoline tllot

ii 8 6eu6. "The sheriff

merelymakes the purahhoeea of geeoline charging

s&e to Centon county. The Comaio6ioner6~ Co uri approves

the paymat of 6eme. The Sh6riff he6 no voice in the approval

of the accounte

or the pa

ytnmt.ofawe, "It i6 not clear to W'uhother the 6bOVe 9" oted **L ’**  **lUtUte6 pmhib%t**  **the** Sheriff under the abOVe aCti@ fZ-W I&dng ouch p~chssoo i hi6 OOlb 1 ebould l%kG 'fOT YOU t.0

glye cy)

pour 0 inian as to whether the 'A0 tlOm* &.LtUt@#,

would prohib t DentonCOUnti

E pqyinp;~~l;ulmofthesoiloftheSeriffWdWthe E iroa, 6pprO & ' - aad above Stated fac.cto~”‘!ion. \i. **I(.** Beldridge - IQ6 **3**

It is clear 

### to u6 

### that ;dth the factti information eu bid our question, in conjunction ttOd i~xticloa

**432** aud **435** of the Texas 1166 whollyoutside OS PenalCode, Vie therefore,

reepectfully

anmier your question

in the affiruat4ve.

The Nopotiam6tatute 16 designed

to and does prohibit the County Commiasionorsand County Judge from appointing, voting i'or or confixmbg the appointment CO my office,

pooition,

**clerk** ship idbi t eqloyclent

or duty of cd degreeto euch offici 3 pereonrelated

within the pro6 ?&ion they Would attempt

to pay -M~lic funda to mch otherperaon, but aaid statuteclearly does ;iot til6 f rohibit

mere purchnsas

frm a pereon60 relatedto them. In ndxnce cited in your lotter thereha6 been no.attenpt to r:;ipoint

tho Sherifff's

Don to any office,enploymont, r oitionor duty, but the County is merelymakin&purchases from IIQ,

and even if tho Zheriff*s

6~ wac relat6dto the CountyJudge and aone one OS &l of tho County Comi661oners by affinity within the 6ocond ClcLroe 6nd by:consan,@.nity uitiin the third degree 6tillmere **~~arch&sm** by **the Comhsionoro**  1 Court ikom him would not be proi:ibitcd

under the laws of thie Stateunleon it 16 shown that 6ose

. :.c&or of the Court ~6s pecuniarily inte+or;ted

in such purchases, i: ia ~41 eetablished in **Texas that**  contrncto enteredinto by a :xbllc officerin No official capcicity

~1‘0 illegit

and void if sllcli officereitherdirectly or indirectly

has a puniary intorest 11~: such contract.

Eoyors ot al VE. Lnlker ot al, **..76** S.bi. **305.** Ye am enclooing

cop166of our Opinion No. **O-2383** wherein LUC dcpzrtmnt held thct n schoolboard could lm~i'ully buy C;an>lino ;.fid oil on the contract basis etc. for the u6e of the~school from a &od cousinof one of the cmmbersof the school board, and that a 6c!lool board could lawfully.glve printin::

work to the brotherof one oz the rxe;nbers

of the 6chool

board,which

printing

wa6 to be paid for cut of school funds.

R\rthcr

we &e encloeinC

COTI of Opinionho, O-2656whereir, tbi6 deparwnt held tl.at it wa6 not illegalfor a COUntyComais6i0116r to purchase

emergency

eup9liea

for conotruCtiOn

and repair of coud,y roads 66 an 6gcnt of the County, under aUthOrity

Of the ;o~.i~t;i~nem*

court, from the Comuisslonere~ brather

who owned and ij;mratCd

a business,

where the COnr?i66ion6r W&8 not pSCtiaCily

### 648

iiOn. L. K.Baldridge - ?nee b

our affkantAT0 aamlerto your fira% queotkn meaNar3.ly compelsthe conclwion t&t our eecowiqueetio3 ehouldbe and I8 !:erety nxmwered

in the nSp;o

J v0b Your8 very truly

JTZc:djn -.

eI;nclosurea