C..

**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN** 

\ i February 14, 1939

Donorable Cao. 2. French A? County Attorney Deinderileld, Texee Dear Sir:

This Oifice ia SO, 1939, arking for an opi oontraot madb on Deoember 6, Edgar Eutohings, ie e valfd her a delinquent tax Morris County and

its $a=m8 on De oontraot was E **You were**  **then** iranuary 1, 193 t provides for a 1s to termfnate under her advise that the era1 and the Comptroller. oeeded yourself on **outed** the waiver required. mdseionera, who olgned the **6, and**  **the** oounty also hae e d,oommissioners indloated **their** e the same was entered Into, has been no euoh indication or retiflofiioe, nor has the newly eleoted his approval. erioan Jurieprudenoe, 210, the following

. . . The members of ’ e board og county oommdssioners cannot, however, oontraot in referenoe to matters which are personal to their **suooessors.** Thus, R contract which a board.of oounty oommiaalonera attempts to employ a legal edviaer for a period ofHon. Ceo. B, Preneh, Pebruary14, 1.939, Page 2

three ye&e, to oomznencethreemonths in " h he future and after the time for the eleotionof e person to fill the vaoanoy oeuaed by the exptrationof the tew of orfice or one x&ber of the board, the tern or exployment extendingover a perioccuring which all the **members** of the board as oonstitutedet the time of the contwot will retire thererrozunless reeleoted, Is agelnstpubwe polioy

. . .* Thb seema to be the law in Texas, which is expressed in 11 Tex. JUT., 651, es followa:

'Ordinarily,

contracts**3ade** by e coxmIaalonersL courtmay not be repudiatedserely because the **pereonnel** or the body has.

subsequently

changed. It is only uh6re :the employmeutby a 

### oaamissionsrs~ oourtis personal 8nd oonildential,

aa in the ease of BP attornay,

### that It la held that one co~esloners* court has uo power. to bind 

### its qluoot%mnwa
**This last**  

### quoted **stiWuwnt ’** **ig~** based on the only~.Texas aa6e on the -subject the oase'ofgulf BitulithZo Onpaty, 11 2. 8. (24) SC%%, whioh eays~: Co. v. BOueces .."' *It 'laonly where 

### the employment. **by a**  **cozmia&on-- ’**  **era*** uourt Is .pereonel an+,s.cnfidential,

as ,ioX~.tLtb

ease. 0r an dttornay,that It ia xs9Wtbat .one 00nmlsrrion6am*~~ **oourt** eeunot **bind** 

### its **eue~es)a ‘** **lY:** The court deo&Mcns ix m@% of the other states that **We** heva found hold that one oouule8SoSex~* oourt oaanotbind ita **suooea6or~** on personal contrset8,~.&ffey County v. Wth, SC 1Can. SW, 32 Pac. 30 (employment oi oounty printer);PrsnkllnOouaty v. Ranok, 9 Ohio C. C. -301(lr. loyam& of courthouse Ulliken v. Edgar County, .&?!il. 828, 32 8.:%. 493 j","lont' of poorhouseauperintender,t]; Board of Commissionera 1; Taylor, 123 Ind. 148, 23 N. g. e& (mploymmt or,attcirney); end billett v. CalhounCounty, 217 P;Le. 667, 117 So. 311 (employ%ent of attorney).

i:e believe +;?& the reasons w‘hich forbid 8 oommisaioncrs~ court to enter into **a** contract for the employment of e man in a persoml end oonflde~,tia& oapaoity extendingbeyond the tern of office of the indlri.duels aomposing such oomaiasionere* oourt epplfes with peculiar force to the employment of EttorneyS for the OOllectionof deli!lqUCjnt taxes.

### lroca.

do. 11.

Fmoh, fsbnuryl4, 'lQS9, Page S t

A tax 

### oolleotor-attomoy *rould need taot,petlence an4 dlll.:Onoe,

and e oansi8tslonors' Oourt a3uld lxwe every lncsntiveto warit



### a aen tlth thosequalltlds. 3~~31~ comdadoers 

### nleht,am5 in aany lnstano~(~,would vlea the situation 

### 13 aa entirely

alrrsr4& light rr0n 

### the lnocmi~ ooz~68loner6. In skwt, oeoh oo8kai8610nerav court 

### 0haa be 

### entit1ec to mnke 

### Its own 

### oontrects

touohbag on th6 aettor. 

### ?W-tlsars~~re,th~roaaybe a changeln the paraonaelo~ **the** 

### 00ulltp

ntt0roef8 0rri04 

### :a dmh mfm the 

### timy 4i60t4a oountyntt?mey 

### wouldhaverl@ts wh%ohoamot be overlooked.

Art;0107s32,

### Rs7ifmd antutea, prwia06 

### ror th4 

### 00uey attorney 

### to r6~rosent tne State sod oouaty ln malts 

### ror dUnqtmt tax86 **and pswitm**  

### r-8 ror **suoh 6ervloo6.**  **we 40**  **not b4um**  

### that an oiatgolne



### oomlaaloner8'oourt, ping oountyattom 

### lawxxlsnt3

Ooun~~~~ soy 0r 

### the rl tto~~pxysmt tka mu to oolbot the xmnpbr8~ao thorer0r. 

### Furtho~~re,w3 bolhvo 

### thatondsr6uohohoui~6tabnoo8 the ooontp n?xnal~

at leeat 

### hayethe ohange of havln$a 

### new

scanty attora4y 

### who

w0til.C attsad 

### to ouoh mattersr0r tha statutor)- 

### ma pmviaeb 

### ror hiha da4rhLaham gomrally a greatcoal les8 than the oaprroi68lonspaZU the 

### C&O,, leotorcoetornoy. It 16 tma **that** in thlr 

### lostan& tho~pswant 

### oountyattorney 1s tb 8~ smn uh+ 

### wa#ooaaty attorney 

### at the th 

### the **COntntOt -8**  **B&i*,** 

### but t?le **f-wi pti?~Oiph**  **ia the**  **-8** 

### Fe do not bdl41vothat the autlonor the 

### tvio iam W&O #re lattwto 

### take

aKlos as wamla:crlonera In lxdloatl'ng

that they qqeo~ml tha 

### oontraot has any beuiag on the cueatlon

### at hand. suah lnaioaticn on their pert wao aot qt orricfal eat and oould not **bo** 

### euohuntilt!mghna qualiflsd ttir theirreapeotlve

orflce8. 

### iIbae%t any ratlfloatlon

0P the4 oontrnat.

Lt la, t~iaretore, our 

### oplnlon

t&t ?sa!!e

lb not a bindInt:

obligation

uponnOrTi8 County.

**“ fOUri**  **VSV** tNry