OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Eonorablr 8. A. Xodg.8 

County Auditor 

n111iamon county 

ooorg4tarn, Texas 

Doar air I Opinion No. 0414S, 

Rot 1~ eaoh oounty 

quimd to tot* on a 

tha oourt raq 

he han the r 

or remain ail 

In your latter 0 

following qus~tlonr to t 

on the mimes 

“1. Doer the Co YO a right to 

e ths Conslst to r o te o n a ll l uoh 

oto oa each, or w he 

when them is not a 

o8ionrr required to 

Son 

the 

the Court requirright to rorwo to 

aah Oouaty Oamiaaionor La require4 to 

or8 aomlng bsrore the Court vimt la t& 

tPiiing.~r wuring, t0 t0tw 

Ia our o~lnion Ho, d-~l48 the above mrnt&oapd quartlonr wera aafmmrd aa followr: 

Vith refsrenoe to your rirrt quartion, your 

l ttontioa is rorpeotfully direoted to ou opinion 
71l2 

honorable B. & Ho4~s, page B 

Ro. 0-1'918, *iah holds thatt 

"'The oounty judge enjoys equal 

voting ri~hte with ell or the other 

meabera of the 00m110eionQra~ oaurt 

whiah will lanoludo the right to %Qks 

or 8b00ad any aotion ana the risht to 

rote whethor there be a tie among the 

vote8 ot other members or the oourt 

or ace.' 

ma * l 0 raolori~~~ a ao~ of the above ~~ntloned oplnlon ior your lnfomation an3 oonrenlenoe. 

You ~111 note), as above stated, that the oounty 

judqe hQL the right to rate oh all matters brought 

before tha ooemla%lonera* court requiring e vote 

of that body, nhloh iholudea the right to araM or 

aeoond any aotlon snb the right to vote whether 

there be a tie pmong the votes of the other %e%- 

ber8 of the oourt or not. The right of the onunty 

juQ,g to vote on all %&tars brought before th6 

oomcl8sioners* court ie not rsatriotsd to lnstanoea 

to where there is a tie tote. 

"In reply to your aeoon~ qurdtlon, it %~FpsQra 

from all the Quthoritiea that va have exanlned, oonstltutiorml, statutory, or judkal interpretations, 

the oounty judge la not required or ecmpellea to 

vote upon Qay natter brought before the cnamieeionera* oourt, but has the rlGht to vote or refreln 

from rotlnp: a8 ha my determine. 

"In answr to Qour third quertloa as above 

a:.atea, an9 three members, oi the ocmmlsslonsra~ 

oowt, including the+o@tyl;jg6&e, constitute a 

quoruaa ror the tranaaotUn~ oi Qay busineso exeept 

that of levying a sounty tax. Therstore, what has 

been said with roferenes to requiring or ocmpellln~, 

a county jutlee to vote on Qh9 netter before the 

aonnlsslonere~ oourt is equally applioable to any 

ooamlsaioner, and eaoh aonmiaaloaer may vote or rqfuse to rote on any quastion.Qs ha shall determine. 

*In reply to pour raurth question, 9ou are advised that a co%snls%fon%r is aot required or uampellod 

to vote on sny Qat'er ooaln& before the oourf, and 

that a refusal to note on any suah matter does not 

con%titute a peual orrenae of any naturOl.n 
. . . 

713 

Honorable H. A Hodges, paga 3 

We am a? the opinion that the above quotrd answers 

to ymr questions are oorreot with one exception, whioh is 

that all mtmbere cf the eomml6%loner%~ court lnoludlng the 

county ju¶g@ who is a Bember o? aaid oourt are required to 

rota Vhan aeleoting a b%nk or banker as a depository of the 

funds 0r l o o ua ty. 

Artiole 428 a? the Penal Code reads as follows; 

*Any tsembbr o? the oommisaloaara oourb who 

shall fail or ret1180 to vote at any February 

tara theroo? n6xt iollowlng each gepsral eleotloa ?or a oamplianos with the raquiramenta OS 

the law providing for the l eleotioa o? a beak or 

banker a8 the depository o? the funds o? mob 

oouaty shall be fine4 not leas than on. hundred 

nor more than rive hundred dollars or be lmprlsoned la jail not lese than one nor aore then 

air aoaths, or both. Suoh tatlure or te?a%al 

Is ground for removal from o??lce.* 

In view of tha ioregolag statute,. you are reapotiully advised that it is the opinion a? this department .that 

all aombera o? the eomlasioaera~ oguzt, uhioh laaludea the 

aouaty judge, are required to ~040 

? 

bn the aelaotlon of a 

bank or baakrt as the diposltory ti,- he funds a? their roapeotlve oounty, and a iallure to do so la a violation o? Artiola 426 a? the Penal Gods. pny aember of the oommlaaioners~ 

oourt f+iling to vote upon the matter of aelaoting a bank or 

banker as the depository o? the funds o? the oow Is subjsot 

to proaeoutlon under Artiale 428 of the Penal Code. Otherwise, in ooaformlty with the abavr msatloned opinion, you are 

advised that the oounty judge or a aosanfssioner is not required 

or ooopelled to vote on any matter aoming beiore the oourt, 

aad that a reiuaal to vote on an9 such matter, 4xoapt as ateve 

stated, does not con&tute a penal o??ema o? any nature. 

Trusting that the foregoing ?ully answers your fnquiry, w remala 

-3k4b-J 

ATTORNEY GENERAL OP TEXAS