.,&ch 24, 1948 **FAGAN DICH!3OX**  **-usIIIwI**

yn'the above aub,ject +t.ter.is, In;part,, as f+l.lqys~ ,'. : 4 "At thd Janrie;iy

'term;th@ ~Commiss10nkp‘~s 'Court voted to remai&on*a 'fee~bksis'forth& sear ig48i, The Cog@ssiotiers* Cc& ~:set'the&xLti~kmount of fees to be re.-

. . ;t&+a'by the sheriff'(Arji;:'3883, 3891:; etc.)".Ft

$3,600.00

p+ Jiear. ', "

<. i ., 'By the.,author;tg ana-&.r~b~ion~of"Ari.- ' 6877-l Vernon's &n. C&v. @+?, Sec. 1 (c) the Canrmissioners* Co-t entered &tiorder. to pay the~sh&lff.anh hissdepn&i&"7q! pe?? mile for the use of.their persone;llg owned cars'for each mile traveled In the ptiyf,qrmknee '0Pofficial.'dutles.~~f.,'o,ffi~e. :,~j..I ._ "Quest&i' Ho. 1--lk,li'th&~aniount paid ,to.'. the sheriff and hli deputies under the above order be a"fee'o~.~'~thg-irher~fff'soffke *ma+ Art.;3883;389%. etc., 

### sna ifso wall-it be~accoMtable.bJi'.him ae 'other " : II i

. . "Question'No~ 2---If the'-'ans%rer;$@ Qkeg-. ' ' tioti'No.

1'1s ~afflr&tive;~hould the pay ,:I for this mileage be made to the shetilff'. .'~ to be by h$m paid ag ,w sees proper to the deputies oF sh&la.$he &puts begpsi~.dgrect? .. : .~ ,. _*
"Question No. 3---Since Art. 6877-l'is .a*- parently mandatory, will Commissioner's

### 296
Hon. R. Y. King, page 2. (V-526)

courtshave the authority to limit the nnrpber of 

### mll6sthat till be approved forpayment? That is, limit the sheriff to say 2000 miles maximum, first deputy 1500 miles, etc.?

,_ " 'Question~No.~---HOW can'~ihe Commission-~ er's court determinewhat ndleage is official auty?m

H.'B. 501, Acts of~,~the 50th Legi&at&e,~ti. S. 1947, (Art. 6877-1,V;C.S.)Vas held to be,.inandato+,'by oti OpinionHo. V-293. It was further 'held' in Opinion Ho. V-515.that the traveling expense provided~by R. B. 501 was to be paid to.a sheriff on a fee basis out of the general fund of the county and noLout of fees of office. Ferefore, th+traveling expense OS a sheriff providedby the provisidhs. OS H;.B.'501 **is** n0t.a fee .~ of officeand will not be &count%8 Sbr tisa fee by the sheriff. NeLther is quch travellng,exp+se.a portion of the salaries,p&d those shertifs On a'salaky basis. Therefore,.it.is.

our 0plniOfi

in answer..to

your 'first question tb& the.amount+.id:a& traveling expenses tider the order of the CommLSs16hers1 Cotit mehti6ned in your request.

is hot a fke of .th&~h&+iSf~$'off'ice and '; wlll not be accountableati a f&e tisz%iiring at the sheriff's~ti,compensatio~. :,-..~ '..

.Ih,vlewof.our:an;ri;ei.~to.yo~,.'Plrst~q~~~tion, it is not,ne@3ssaryto answer que.stJon.lGdt, ?.1

., S&ion 2'0s H;'B. 501.~p&&& &at'&& to thepresent-Actthere,wa&no atl~qtrgjklaw provld$ng for transportationf66 kheriffs and'thelz depnties. Therefore, the Legislature enacted.& & 5Ol:and did not placea limit.on the~ikmb6r 'hbr die's Qhlch'the sheriff coald-trave>.In'the performance dS.6SSi.ci;al, autfes. Ori the contrary,the I&jis&ature pro+iaea **ur@er** subdivision (0) that they "shallbe paid,not.Zek~s:thEin rilx'cents(6#) per mile.nor rnb-ti~teti cents‘'(I&) per ralle:for each ndle traveled in th6 performance of'WSlcia1 duties." Therefore,it is our opinion that the Commissioni3rs~

. Court cannQt l+t the.number of.m$les whlch~.tl&e.Sheriif and hls:,deputie$magtra+eJ. in $he 0SSiclalduties. ,,. .:'I : ., " :..:. perftir+ance

of

. .. . . :,

;H. B.'-561

.states&at 'Bl~~don;pensation'pald under the p~ovlslons of this Aot &hall be Pp&'a swornstatementof such sheriff.' In view of this pr?vlsZon,

### . - 297

~Hon.R. Y. KQg, page 3. (V-526) c TV:

..

it is our opimon that the'C~&iiissioners' Court may requlre thesheriff to furnish the Court in his sworn ac- ,count such information which is necessary for the 

### COUH to determine what 'mileage'~was~ traveled .ti

the perSormante of those duties set out in various statutory provisions prescribing .thedutiesof the sheriffs and their deputies. See'Art. V, Sec. 23, Texas Constitutionii? SUMMARY

.l •~ Traveling,expense of sheriffs and their deputies paid una&r the provisions of H. B. 501, Acts of the‘50th Legislature, (Art: '687711,

V.,C. S.) is neither a See of office in a See county nor ~aportion of the’sheriff’s salatig in a “sklarg” County. This expense is to be paid out of the Couuty'sgeneral fund.
2, The Commissioners Court is not authorlzea%o”llmit the number ~of.miles the sheriff'may travel in the performance of his offlcfal atities.., .

: 3. Thb Commissioners' Court ntaxrequire sufSlolent information in the Sh&?- iff's Sworn Aceount" of traveling expense to determine how many miles were traveled in the performance of his official duties.

Yours very truly,

AT!CORREYGERERALOF TEXAB

APPROVED:

. .