.,&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 &ti order. 

to pay the~sh&lff.anh hiss depn&i&"7q! pe?? 

mile for the use of. their persone;llg owned 

cars'for each mile traveled In the ptiyf,qrmknee '0P official.'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's offke *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 beg psi~.dgrect? .. : .~ ,. _* 

"Question No. 3 ---Since Art. 6877-l'is .a*- 

parently mandatory, will Commissioner's 
296 

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

courts have the authority to limit the nnrpber of mll6s that 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 determine what 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 Opinion Ho. 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 

provided by the provisidhs. OS H;.B.'501 is n0t.a fee .~ 

of office and will not be &count%8 Sbr tis a 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 accountable ati a f&e tisz%iiring at the 

sheriff's ~ti,compensatio~. :,-..~ '.. 

.Ih,vlew of.our:an;ri;ei.~to.yo~,.'Plrst~q~~~tion, 

it is not,ne@3ssary to answer que.stJon.lGdt, ?.1 ., 

S&ion 2'0s H;'B. 501.~p&&& &at'&& to 

the present-Act there,wa& no atl~qtrgjklaw provld$ng for 

transportation f66 kheriffs and'thelz depnties. Therefore, the Legislature enacted.& & 5Ol:and did not 

place a 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 "shall be 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$les whlch~.tl&e.Sheriif and hls:,deputie$mag tra+eJ. in $he 

0SSiclal duties. ,,. .:'I : ., " :..:. 

perftir+ance of 

. . . . . :, 

;H. B.'-561 .states &at 'Bl~~don;pensation'pald 

under the p~ovlslons of this Aot &hall be Pp&'a swornstatement of 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 .the dutiesof the sheriffs and their 

deputies. See'Art. V, Sec. 23, Texas Constitution 

ii? 

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 ~a portion 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 ntax require 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: 

. .