E 0 EY GENERAL 

~FTEXAS 

Honorable J. E. Winfroo, Chairman 

Special Ccmmittee of the Houot of 

Roprosentativos to 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 the Guadalupe-Blanc0 

River Authority 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 ef Ropresentativeo appointed to investigate some of the actions of 

the Lower Colorado River Authority and the GuadalupoBlanco Rivers Authority has adduood evidonoo to show 

that one of tho members 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 per month as Gonoral Eanagor of the 

Authority, and w8 reoontly paid the own of $25,000 BP 

General Couaasl for the Authority. 

"Thie Conmittoo foelr that it is neoessary for it to 

know the low governing these payments, and roquosto that 

you give the Cmmrittoo an 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'o foe i8 l legal payI@o,nt. IA other 

werdm, did the Board of Direotorr oftho Gurdalupo-Blanoo 

Riwrs Authority comply with the law in ordering these 

payments mado 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-Bluroc Rivor Authority." It was firet 

oroatod in 1933 by Son&o Bill Eo. 97, Chapter 76, pago 196, Forty-Third 

Legioloturo, Mrst Called Session. That l tatuto was omondod in 1935 by the 

passage of Bouso Bill No, 138, Chapter 410, page 1615, Forty-fourth Legiolrturo, First CalMd Session. There have boon no other amendments. Wo 

as6~mo that tho transaction about whiah you askod ooeurrcd since 1935. 

The parts of the etatuto with 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 OoAOIOtiAg Of that prt Of 

the StrtO of TOxas vhiOh is iAOludOd WithiAthO busdarim Of the CeuAtiOr Of Hays, Oemal, Guadalupe, 

Caldwll, GeAaalOO, DeNiitt, ViOtorie, Kendall, Re- 

~fugia, ud CalhOuAe 8u0h Distriot rhall be aAd ir 

‘Texas, iloludiag (tO the OxtoAt haroinaftor authorirod) 

the oOAtro1, stcriag, prosOrvOtioA OAd distributing 

of thO water6 cf thO GuadalupO aAd Blanco River and 

their trilmtrriss for irrigation, pwOr, md othor 

uOOfu1 purposo8, the rOOlwnatiOA and irrigatior of 

Orid, rami-arid and other lOAdO AOOdiAg irrigation, a@ 

thO l OA#ol-mtioA aAd dovolopaont of tha forOst8, water 

md hydrO-OleOtriO pcwer of thO StatO Of TOxAOo 

(BophOsis ourr) 

%j.., 20 l5xsOpt a8 expressly limited by this AOt, 

tho.DistriOt shall hOVs Pnd is hereby authorized to 

oxOri&rO all pOwOrsr rights; privilogOO, ud fuastion; 

eonforked %y gOAora1 law upon'a~y DistriOt OT DiOtriOts 

OreOted pursuOAt to sOotioA 59, of JLrtiOlO 16, csf the 

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 oallod the Beard), all ,of whm shall k 

rwidonts Of amd freeheld property taxpayers in the Stats 

of Tox.so Said director6 Oh011 be 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 traveliag ud ether expense.. 

* . . . 

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

shall keep 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 tern shall be selected by 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 Yeers .ha: rrlsve 

tuJI -i.r. and dutl... shall hold offi.. f.r Nab 

term ;md b. aubjeot to-rawal in 8u.h munor as may 

be nr.vid.d im th. IT-1.~8. The B..rd 8h.11 fix tk. 

..m~,,lltiO8 Of 1U.h .ffi..r8. The Board llny appoilt 

"8.8. 6. Th. money. of tb. M8tZ'i.t Ihall b8 di8- 

tarred only .a .h.&8, draftr, orders .r ether in8trumost8 rigned by 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.rl 8t.d ia 'By 88.tIW.t f.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.8 th.r.of ahallb. subj.&. te a fin. ia aa 

pllsuat net ex..odlmg Toa 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 

It will be mti..d th8t th. 8t8tute that gives life to the 

Guad8iup.-B18s.8 River &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 River Authority, but th. 8ppell8t. oOUrt8 

hrv., in 8t l.S8t tu. e*8.., .ament.d en the status ef the L.-r Celond. 

River Authority, whieh n8 areatod 9 8 8t8tute r&y simil8r to the .t.tut. 

her. iqv.1v.d. Ia Oia bf th.8. .UBPD tOWit, in the 0.8. of Lower Colorado 

River Authority 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+vermental l geaey withis th. me8nirg of 

Nb...ti.lP (b) et 8..tioa 69 (Of tb. ti,WtitUtiOn), 

8Upra. Thi8 board 1. .el.st.d from 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 Cmlor8de River Autharity, 163 S.% 2nd 655, 

the Court of Civil Appsllr at Au8tir held th8t kdier like the I#wer Coler8do Riv8r Authcrity "8r. political autiiTi8ian8 ef the State of the 881~0 

nature and .tund upon..xa.tlyth. 8m. f..ting .8 a.UMti.8, .I p8Weinst8, 

l uy of the ether pelitiul 8ubdiY~siear of the rt8tr." 

W8 mw as@ to the r.81 questlea befemu8, wh1.h 18 whet&r an 

offi8.r of 8 p.litinl 8ubdlri8ion of the State .8n ~80 the pWW of .ppeimtmeat vested im ruoh offleer to l ppeiat him8slf te 8m effi.s or other positic8 of r.8po88ibil%ty wh.8 the 8tatut. do.8 net 8pesifie8lly give 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.imting p.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..r8 ah. h8vo the 8pp.i8tirg poner are dirqurlified for 8pp.irtmrentto the afflO.8 t. which they my amOiElt8 nor .8X .1 lppOi8tilpg 

b.8rd 8ppoimt *me of ita members 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.at 
Han. J. E. Winfree, Pig. 6 (O-6117) 

when the appeiatment 116 mde, rad notith8turding 

his term la the app.iating bady was about to expir.# 

aer earn the result be aecmnplished iadin.tly ?# 

hi. re8igaatioa with the intentlea that 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.r v. Clark, 117 Tax. 647, 6 S.K 2nd 666, th. 

Supr.m. Court of Texar held that L Cblty tiDl!d88iOBOr8’ Ikurt eould not 

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. soastitutional and rtatutery duty imp.6.d upon bilr of 

pr.lidi?Ig over th8 .OIRt in it8 d.lib.r~ticn8 

while selecting u attorney, and af partioipatiag 

therein a8 .uoh offioar. Oa the other hud, if, 

after aa l tteney 1.8 .mploysd, it should b fouad 

'that the attorusywar not p.rfermiag his duti.r in 

a oclnpetent or faithful manner, it would bewme the 

duty of the cmnmis~ion.rs~ .ourt, presided 0v.r by 

the ssunty judge, to rslievu ruoh att.rn.y of 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 courts have with great unanimity 

throughout the e.untry deelatrd that all offioers 

ubo have the appointing power are disqualified for 

appoinbnant to the offie.8 to whiah they may appoint. 

29 Cya. 13811 22 R.C.S. p. 414, S 56. 

% think the smpleyment of th. county judge a8 an 

attorney by the csmmissioners court, over whioh he 

presided, eom.8 olearly within th. rule th8t the appointing pt?wer, inthir instan.. the o8immir8ionorr' 

oOWt, .WlnOt PppOint a8 it8 att0XX.y Oil. Of it8 .Wa 

member8, to with, the oua~ judge, a8 was don. la 

thi. ..8., ud that, therefor., the c0ntlW.t et hi8 

.n@oym.kt in .e far 18 it provided for .cmpeasatien, 

w.8 void. . . 0" 

F'raotirlly all of th. autharities oa 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 P8rrirh vo Qmn ef Abel, 144 08. 242, 86 S.E. 1095; and State ve 

Dan, 103 K8n. 814, 176 Pa.. 633. 

This dep8rtm.mt had 8 rimil8r question before it in Att0z-u.y 

G.a.ra1'8 Opinion HO. O&10, in whiah it was held that the Board .f or- 

.&Or8 of a Stat. supported college meuld not 8ppoint en. ef it8 own memb8r8 a8 prerident of th. aolleg.. ti th8t .piD,iOn this dep8rtmant 8Pid8 

(I Rhethsr in a giver inst8n.e the member 

did &&ly suooeed in sompletely subnbrging his 

pZ'8OnP1 interest is not 8 m8tarial inquiry. Pub11. duty might 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 appcintment of their own members? 

ltill publia peliay p.zmit ~8 to 88notioa and r..ognis. this practioe a8 an approved method cf obtainirag appeitient87 It would tend to OaU8e beard man+ 

bbn to look with, O.vOt.U8 eyes on desirable pcsitioas. More than one might be oseking the amn. 

pla00, aad pw6onal j.8lOuSi.8 would 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 rscognizad as fair game for member8 of th. 

l ppointi8g bard, then there would inevitably be times 

wham membership oa th. board would come f8r nearsr to 

getting 8 m8n the 8pp.intmsrmt th8n 811 the qualifiations he could poss.ss." 

It m8y be th8t intbir 88s. the Board had th. welfare of the 

Guadalupe-B18n.o River Authority, and the psepl. it 8em.8, appermost in 

mfnd when ait seleotsd 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 prastiees must not be teLsrated in the absence of special 

8tatutory pewission, 8ndthere 18 80 suoh statutory pamirsioa in this 

0.8.. Suoh 8 rule of law 18 based on good roasoao It is of the highest 

impertar8e th8t the governing bodi.8 of politioal subdivision8 be free 

from every kind of person81 influeno. in 8eleoting the offiosr8 and employ- 

..s wh. v. to 8.~. the publi8 aad b8 paid by the publisr It is for that 

ream8 that nepctiam law8 hav. been passed probibdting bo~rdo 8ad offiaial8 

fr*m appointing relatives. Boards and offici818 8r. under a duty te the 

publis to fill positions with the be8t men 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.UlPrly where the compensation for sush appOiXtm.Bt 

s.uld b. 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,*rnpilting kPdi.8 8r. not reouired to m,~Putsid. their membership 
Hon. J. E. Rinfroe, Page 7 (O-5117) 

.P tho rolootioa of publia semnta, that the rule annouusod has booa 

adopted, and ought to be rtriatly applied.! Meglmery v. Woissingar, 

supra. 

In addition ta tho forogoiag reasons wetkink that the words 

of the rtatuto, twit, House Bill He. 198, Forty-feurth Lsgislaturo, 1st 

C.S. 1956, iadioatathat tbo Legirlrturo intomdod for the "General Muagor" 

to be a sspmtr person from tho Directors, and that th. "rgatv ad m- _ 

ployoor~ appointed under the tern6 of the statute, which would iaaludo UI 

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 thinks nooenPPry. Of oourso, the Director ia question is entitled to omperaation 

underthat provision if ho qualified under raid provision. 

Our l nmmr to your quortim ir that tho pyment to the Chair 

man ef the Board of Direotorr of the Guadalupe-Blanoo River Authority of 

#lOO.OO per month 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