### E 0 EY 

## GENERAL
~FTEXAS

Honorable J. E. Winfroo, Chairman Special Ccmmittee of the Houot of Roprosentativosto investigate the L.C.R.A. and G.B.R.A. Austin, Toxao

Dear Sir; Opinion x3. O-6117 Rir Authority of the Board of Direotoro of theGuadalupe-Blanc0 RiverAuthority te employ one of its WA momboro as Ginoral Manager oad aa Attorney.
This is **in** reply to your letter of March 8, 1943,whioh roads o8 follows:
"The Speoirl Cbmnittoe of the House efRopresentativeo appointed to investigate some of the actions of the Lower Colorado RiverAuthority and the GuadalupoBlanco RiversAuthority has adduood evidonoo to show that one of thomembers of the Bmrd of Dirootors of the last nomad authority,who was Chuirman of the Board, in addit?on to the $10 pnr diem paid him as a dire&or, wao paid $100 permonth as Gonoral Eanagor of the Authority, and w8 reoontly paid the own of $25,000 BP General Couaaslfor the Authority.
"Thie Conmittoo foelr that it is neoessary for it to know the low governingthese payments, and roquosto that you give the Cmmrittooan opinion a8 to whether **or** not the psymont to the Chairman of the Board of $100 per month IP Gonoral Manager and tho po.ymont to him of the 425,000 attornoy'ofoe i8 l legal payI@o,nt. IA other werdm, did the Board of Direotorr oftho Gurdalupo-Blanoo Riwrs Authority complywith the law in ordering these paymentsmado to the Chairman of the Board,who was one of the Directors?'

In approaohiag tho enswor to your question,we Bhould first examine the nature of tho "Guadalupe-BlurocRivorAuthority." Itwas firet oroatod in 1933 by Son&o Bill Eo. 97, Chapter 76, pago 196, Forty-Third Legioloturo, Mrst Called Session. That l tatutowas omondod in 1935 by the passage of Bouso Bill No, 138, Chapter 410, **page** 1615, Forty-fourthLegiolrturo, First CalMd Session. There have boon no other amendments. Wo as6~mo that tho transactionaboutwhiah you askod ooeurrcd since 1935.

The parts of the etatutowith which we are conoernod rood ao followst&,AOX’.bl. J. K. 10iAflW0, h$O 2 (O-5117)

"SOOtiOA 1. ThorO iO hereby **woated** WithiA the 8tOto of Tons, IA additioA to the DiOtriOtr into whiOh tho St&O has heretOfore ?IWA divided, a Csa8orfstf0A OAd ReehmmtiQA DistriOt tO be kAwA as 'Guadalupe-Blanoo**River** Authority' (hOrOiAOftOr rllod the MstriOt) OAd OoAOIOtiAgOf that prt Of the StrtO of TOxas vhiOh is iAOludOdWithiAthO bus**darim** Of the CeuAtiOrOf Hays, Oemal,Guadalupe, Caldwll, GeAaalOO, DeNiitt, ViOtorie, Kendall,Re- ~fugia,

ud CalhOuAe 8u0h Distriot rhall be aAd ir

‘Texas,iloludiag (tO the OxtoAtharoinaftor authorirod) the oOAtro1, stcriag,prosOrvOtioAOAd distributing of thOwater6 cf thO GuadalupO aAd Blanco River and their trilmtrriss for irrigation,pwOr, md othor uOOfu1 purposo8,the rOOlwnatiOAand irrigatior of Orid, rami-aridand other lOAdO AOOdiAg irrigation,a@ thO l OA#ol-mtioA aAd dovolopaont of tha forOst8,water md hydrO-OleOtriOpcwer of thO StatO Of TOxAOo (BophOsisourr)

%j.., 20 l5xsOpt

a8 expressly limited by this AOt, tho.DistriOt shall hOVs Pnd is hereby authorizedto oxOri&rO all pOwOrsr rights; privilogOO,ud fuastion; **eonforked** %y gOAora1 law upon'a~y DistriOt OT DiOtriOts OreOtedpursuOAt to sOotioA 59, of JLrtiOlO16, csfthe COAStitUtiOA Of the StOt. of TOAAE. o a D
"

. . 0
**%Jee. 4.**  The psnOrs, rights,privilegss **and** f\PdiOnO of the Mstriot l

hOll be OxeroiOOd by a board of nine (9) diroaters (herein oallodthe Beard), all ,of whm shallk rwidonts Of amd freeheldproperty taxpayers in the Stats of Tox.so Said director6 Oh011be appointed Iy the 00verawr from nminations furnished him by the Bmrrd of Water Eaglwors of the State of Tours,md the 

### l ppeiatment1 OOAfirmed by the Sbaats as in Other oOsOO of appoilrtrmsnts by the Gacrenor. o D .,H.n.r.Ll. J. FL *Wm., Page 3 (O-5117)

"(a) **Sash** dire&c 8ba.U re..iv. Ten Dollam (#lo)per day f.r **sash day**  spent i8 

### l ttendiag FA..tb68 of th. Beard, and .ny ether busias.8 of the Di8tri.t that th. Beard think. ne..ssary,plu. a.tual traveliagud ether expense.. *

. . . "SO.. 5. The Eeard shall al.&

. Sesrstarynba shallkeep tru. and romplet. r.cord. of all pr....ding8 of the Beard. Until the .ppeintment ef I Se.- retary or in the .v.nt of his abs.noe or inability to a&. a rscretary **pro** ternshall be selectedby the Beard.-The Beard rhall also .eleot a General Manager, who ah.11 b. the .bi.t .x..utive 0f'fia.r.f tlm Di.- k&t. **8ad** a tr.a.ur.r. All ru.h off rrlsve Yeers .ha: tuJI-i.r. and dutl... shallhold offi.. f.r Nab term ;md b. aubjeot to-rawal in 8u.hmunor as may be nr.vid.d im th. IT-1.~8. The B..rd 8h.11 fix tk. ..m~,,lltiO8Of 1U.h .ffi..r8. The Board llnyappoilt

"8.8. 6. Th. money. of tb. M8tZ'i.t Ihall b8 di8- tarred only .a .h.&8, draftr, orders .r ether in8trumost8 rignedby rush perron a8 &all be wtherimd to 8i@ th. 88,W by th. by-lam .I r.s.lutie8 ..n.urmd il by not 1.81 tha8 fiv. (5) dir..tar.. o D e 

### l S... 7. Th. d.mi.ile sf th. Di.tri.t 8h.11 k ia th..City of I&r Bnruielr, C.uaty of Cqna1,~wh.r.th. M8tri.t rh*&lmaimta+ it* pria.ip.1

### l ffi.0, in 8hUgO Of iti Geipr.lHanag*ro 0 e e
'S... 8. Ik dir..tor, offiaer, agent .r wp1.y.. of ths Di8tri.t 8hall k dir..tly .I imdin.tly irt.rl8t.d ia 'By 88.tIW.tf.r the pur.h.8. Of '*y pr.p.rty .r na8tru.tio8 of a~ mrk b .r for the di8tri.t, amd if .xy 8u.h p.r8.a *hall k or be.010

.. iBt.rertOd in .ny 8u.h ..ntn.t, h. shall b. guilty of a f.1.w and .m 8enVieti.8th.r.of ahallb. subj.&. te a fin. ia aa pllsuat net ex..odlmgToa Thousand Ikllars (#lO,OOO)or t. ~mfimment im tk County jail for not less than ale (1)year 8.r more thu tea (10)years, or b&h,
"

. . . .Hea. J. S. Wiafre., P8gO 4 (o-5117)

"See. 110 The Dirtriot 8h.11 have power **and** 18 herebg mthorieod~ta irmi.; fmantime to time, b.ad8 88 h!mia 8uthoriq.d for uy acrpw8te purpooe, . .,en
Itwill be mti..d th8t th. 8t8tute that gives life to the Guad8iup.-B18s.8River &8thority, towit, Hours Bill Elo.136, Forty-f.urtb LOgi818tUr*, ltt i&S.,1936 *ad b.dy politie and eerperak.s dealus it t. be "a governmeat 8g.a.y

I?; app.ll&* e.urt, ia8ofar 88 we 888 find, h88 diagno8.d the 8&e-up cf tke Guad8lup-B18n.8 RiverAuthority, but th. 8ppell8t. **oOUrt8** hrv., in 8t l.S8t tu. e*8.., .ament.d en the status ef the L.-r Celond. RiverAuthority, whieh n8 areatod 9 8 8t8tuter&y simil8rto the .t.tut. her. iqv.1v.d. Ia Oia bf th.8. .UBPD tOWit, in the 0.8. of Lower Colorado RiverAuthority Y. M8Cr*W, 125 T.x. 266, 63 S.l% 2nd 629, the Supr.18. Ceurt Of T.lx8 8ridr

**”**o e . It m .em8tm.t.dthi8 dirtriet a8 to make

it a 8trt. g8+vermentall geaeywithis th.me8nirg of Nb...ti.lP (b) et 8..tioa 69 (Of tb. ti,WtitUtiOn), **8Upra.** Thi8 board 1. .el.st.dfrom the St8te 8t lark, ud h.8 many duti.8 that .r. 6O.xt.DsiV. With the limit8 ef the Stat.. o D 0'

In the .a80 of R.dg.V* Lower Cmlor8deRiver Autharity, 163 S.% 2nd 655, the Court of CivilAppsllr at Au8tir held th8t kdier like the I#wer Coler8do Riv8rAuthcrity "8r. political autiiTi8ian8 ef the State of the 881~0 nature **and** .tundupon..xa.tlyth. 8m. f..ting .8 a.UMti.8, .I p8Weinst8, l uy of the ether pelitiul 8ubdiY~siearof the rt8tr."

W8 mw as@ to the r.81 questlea **befemu8,** wh1.h 18 whet&r an offi8.r of 8 p.litinl 8ubdlri8ionof the State .8n ~80 the pWW of .ppeimt

### meatvested im 

### ruohoffleer to 

### l ppeiat him8slf te 8m effi.s or other positic8 of r.8po88ibil%tywh.8 the 8tatut.do.8 net 8pesifie8llygive him such authcrifya The .a8w.r i8 81.8rly "8.".

The gemma ml. em tbi8 qUe8tim 18 8tat8d 1% 46 Corpus Juri8 940 .I; fOlhW88
"It 18 sontrm'y t. th. pell8y of the law for 8~

offi..r te u8e hi8 offi.18.l app.imtingp.w.r t. ~18.0 h%ms.lf ia 0ff1.0, 80 that, 8v.m la the 8I.m.ne. of a 8t8tUtov inhibitlOB 811 .ffi..r8ah. h8vo the 8pp.i8tirg poner are dirqurlifiedfor 8pp.irtmrenttothe afflO.8 t. which they my amOiElt8 nor .8X .1 lppOi8tilpg b.8rd 8ppoimt *me of itamembers tc 8m offis., .wm though hj.8

vote 18 not ssssntial t. a majority la favmr of hi8 8pp.i&mnt,8nd although he ~88 net prea.atHan. J. E. Winfree, Pig. 6 (O-6117)

when the appeiatment116 mde, rad notith8turding his term la the app.iatingbadywas about to expir.# aer earnthe result be aecmnplished iadin.tly ?# hi. re8igaatioawith the intentleathat his su....sor rhall l

a8t his vet. for h&n. e e .*
This epeeifi.question ti8 b6.a d..ided by a Tea8 

### l ppellat. aourt. Im the 0.8. of Ehl1ag.rv. Clark, 117 Tax. 647, 6 S.K 2nd 666, th. Supr.m. Court of Texar held that L Cblty tiDl!d88iOBOr8’ Ikurt eouldnot appoint the County Judge,wh. was a member of the Court, to represent the Ccluty PI an attBrn.y for wkiah he could draw oompsnsation,and the Supmm. Court oaidr
I

. e . If the .@Wt 

### in the .OUrl. of its proosodings femd it n..s.sary to emp1.y an attorney to ..11.&. these nOte8, than th. WUBty judge, .8 th. presidiag offleer of that oourt, had th. soastitutionaland rtatuteryduty imp.6.d upon bilrof pr.lidi?Ig

over th8 .OIRt in it8 d.lib.r~ticn8 while selectingu attorney, and af partioipatiag therein 

### a8 .uoh offioar. Oa the other hud, if, after aa 

### l

tteney 1.8 .mploysd, it should b fouad 'thatthe attorusywar not p.rfermiaghis duti.r in a oclnpetent

or faithfulmanner, itwould bewme the duty of the cmnmis~ion.rs~ .ourt,presided 0v.r by the ssunty judge, to rslievu ruoh att.rn.yof hi8 duties and empl'y anether. It is beaus. of the obvious inaemp&ibility sf being b&h a m.mbsr of P lzedy making the appoiabmnt and IP appaiatee of that body that the courtshave with great unanimity throughout the e.untrydeelatrd that all offioers ubo have the appointingpower are disqualified for appoinbnantto the offie.8 to whiah theymay appoint. 29 Cya. 13811 22 R.C.S. p. 414, S 56.
% think the smpleymentof th. county judge a8 an attorney by the csmmissioners court, over whioh he presided, eom.8 olearlywithin th. rule th8t the appointing pt?wer,

inthir instan..the 

### o8immir8ionorr' **oOWt,** .WlnOt PppOinta8 it8 att0XX.y Oil. Of it8 .Wa member8, to with, the oua~ judge, a8 was don. la thi. ..8., ud that, therefor.,the c0ntlW.tet hi8 .n@oym.kt in .e far 18 it provided for .cmpeasatien, w.8 void.

. . 0" F'raotirlly all of th. autharitiesoa thi. qu.stioFa suppsrt our view, a f.w of thaa b.iag Gaw VI Ashley, 195 ?d%..,173, 80 H.E. 790, 122 &a. St. Rap. 229; R.=aUag 7s.Stat., 116 Ind. 468, 19 B.Se 151, 2 L.R. A..510;Meg1.m.~ V. R.iaair-F~ 140 F-e 55.5. 19 S.R 40. 9 L2.A. (B.S.)-. .

Hon. J. B. Hinfre., %g. 6 (O-5117)

5753 P8rrirhvo Qmn efAbel, 144 08. 242, 86 S.E. 1095; and State ve Dan, 103 K8n. 814, 176 Pa.. 633.

This dep8rtm.mthad 8 rimil8rquestion before it in Att0z-u.y G.a.ra1'8 Opinion HO. O&10, in whiah itwas held that the Board .f or- .&Or8 of a Stat. supported college meuldnot 8ppoint en. ef it8 ownmemb8r8 a8 prerident of th. aolleg.. ti th8t .piD,iOn this dep8rtmant 8Pid8 (I Rhethsr in a giver inst8n.ethe member did &&ly suooeed in sompletely subnbrginghis pZ'8OnP1 interest is not 8 m8tarial inquiry. Pub11. dutymight triumph in a partioular 8880,but ruahmight not be tna8 the next tim. 8nd the next. Would wa k, willing for simillr boards and g.vur~,- lag bed188 to fill 8ppcintiv.effioes and pla8.8 sf .mpleym.nt by appcintmentof their ownmembers? ltillpublia peliayp.zmit ~8 to 88notioaand r..ognis. this practioe a8 an approvedmethod cf obtainirag appeitient87 Itwould tend to OaU8e beardman+ bbn to look with,O.vOt.U8 eyes on desirablepcsitioas. More than onemight be oseking the amn. pla00, aad pw6onal j.8lOuSi.8would 8ri8ee ExahPnga of favor8 and the barter .f p180.s of publie trust would be .n.ou?8g.de If appointive pla.88 should oome to be rscognizadas fair game formember8 of th. 

### l ppointi8g bard, then therewould inevitablybe times wham membership oa th. boardwould come f8r nearsr to getting 8 m8n the 8pp.intmsrmt th8n 811 the qualifiations he couldposs.ss."
Itm8y be th8t intbir 88s. the Board had th. welfare of the Guadalupe-B18n.oRiverAuthority, and the psepl. it 8em.8, appermost in mfnd when aitseleotsd it8 o%n chairmaa 88 Gener81 Manafer, to dr8w #lW.OO **per** month 88 auoh,and Goner81 Counsel, to dnw $25,000000,but th..law is 8lrar th8t 8u.h prastieesmust **not** be teLsrated in the absence of special 8tatutorypewission, 8ndthere 18 80 suoh statutorypamirsioa in this 0.8.. Suoh 8 rule of law 18 based on goodroasoao It is of the highest **impertar8e** th8t the governingbodi.8 of politioal subdivision8be free from everykind of person81 influeno. in 8eleoting the offiosr8 **and** employ- ..s wh. v. to 8.~. the publi8 aad b8 paidby the publisr It is for that ream8 that nepctiam law8 hav. been passed probibdtingbo~rdo 8ad offiaial8 fr*m appointing relatives. Boards and offici818 8r. under a duty te the publis to fill positionswith the be8tmen 8vailabl.o If they oould appoint th8mmralve8,

or .m. of their em members, itwculd Lm a temptation to d. 80 in 8.m. in8tUee8, parti.UlPrlywhere the compensationfor sush appOiXtm.Bt s.uldb. made luer8tive, 8nd thereby the b88t man 8v8ilabl. for th. pcsitiem might not k appointed. ?Aad it is out of regard for thir hm8n reatiment and rs&n.ss, and the fear that the public int.rs8t will not be 80 well proteeted _i,*rnpiltingkPdi.8 8r. not reouiredto m,~Putsid. theirmembershipHon. J. E. Rinfroe, Page 7 (O-5117)

.P tho rolootioa ofpublia semnta, that the rule annouusodhas booa adopted, **and** ought to be rtriatly applied.! Meglmery v. Woissingar, supra.
In addition ta tho forogoiag reasonswetkink that the words of the rtatuto, twit, House Bill He. 198, Forty-feurthLsgislaturo,1st C.S. 1956, iadioatathat tbo Legirlrturo intomdodfor the "GeneralMuagor" to be a sspmtr person from tho Directors,and that th. "rgatv ad m-
_ ployoor~ appointedunder the tern6 of the statute,which would iaaludoUI attorney,ti saprate poltsons fran tho Mreotorr. The prwicion for appointing such parsons is in Sootion 5 of the statute, quoted above.

In So&ion 4 of the statute it provider that each Dire&or shall reooivo#lo.00 por day for oaoh day spat im attending mootinga of the Beard a& othor bua%aora of the Distriot that the Beard thinksnooenPPry. Of oourso,the Director ia question is entitled to omperaation underthat provision if ho qualified under raid provision.

Our lnmmr to your quortim ir that tho pyment to the Chair man ef the Board of Direotorr of the Guadalupe-BlanooRiver Authority of #lOO.OOpermonth aa General ?damger ud the payment to him of #25,000&O as 1x3 rtternoy'r fee era not legal paymenta.
Yours *ory truly
ATTOBISY GElTERbL

OF TEXAS

CCRmv~o~ APPRovRD opinion cen!mittoo By BWB ChPirmsiAl