936 

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

OROVLR SCLLCRS 

ATroIWrv OR(IIAL 

quotr 

rides ln courtlrr hmtlng a taxable talu&tion 

b;tkr?$27 950 000 00 and -'27 960 OCO 00 for the year 1438, 

thr oounty ~oa&sl&~rre cdrt’ln &wh*oountlra shall hare 

the power to sat and l stablirh annually the maximum amount 

or forrr ior jutatloo or poacr and oonrtabhr but in no 8vant 

rhall It arorsd $3600.00 per annam and dth the firthe? liinitatbn that no ire8 c&all l x o a a$500.00 d for any on8 quart~rr. 

This statcte ~33 ;osr2d t2 a.~plg to Fort 3bcJ Comty since 
937 

Honorabla Sidney J. Brown - iOF. 2 

our valuation ram bat*aen tha above flgurar iOr the year 

1938. 

"The justloa of paaoe end oonrtablas oi Fort Band 

County are on a faa baa18 and artlola 3902 H. C. S. 

P 

roTl4.8 ior appointment of daputls8 0s oounty and pro0 not 

ofrloara on far ba818. If thr ooauai8rIoner8 oourt would 

approve of 8 deputy cmmtabla being appointad after proper 

rp::lioatlon 18 tiled, what maiimua ralmy oould the oourt 

allot ttm ooxutablr to ~87 hi8 drputy out oi th8 8xo.88 

?.08 Of him 0rriod Would th8 limltatlon Of thr deputy 

ooartrblr mrbry ba on a aonthlf, qurrtarly or yarrlf barlr? 

"Could thr oowtrrblr W lort Band County taka into omsldaratlon thr l rpansar of hi8 orfloa, such a8 oar expansea, 

In drteraInI~ thr mount or h.8 or hi8 orrio abet lm can 

ratalnt Am 8n l x.a la If ronrtrbl. to.8 Uount to $12OO,OO 

for ona qurrtar oou pa ha ill8 nonthlr rrportr rhal.a& hlr 

eutoaobll8 axpanra and rakin the 0x0088 to 00v.r hlr traralII@ 8rpmra8, lr tha l x p 8na a van 8 @aatar than the exoa80 

rear? 

"In rrrannor to my raoond. inquiry, tha 1945 taxebla raluatlm or Fort Bent Coaty Is $32,.O23,310.00. Under artlcla 

3912 (a) rootion 13~U.ir 8.l.ty of tha OOUZlty traa8Ur.r 00~1:: 

ba lnoraaaad 1% tor each miL;llon dollar8 in rslnation in 

l xoaae of $15,000,000.00 8nd thr 1945 rnundnunts 8llOwad m 

additional lncraarr Of 25s on tha 8alar)r. 

"In retirenor to my last inqalry, I will rtata that 

tha oounty &&a and arvrral other oountg o?fIolals ware 

being paid a ralary of $4200.00 durlry t&a year 1944 and 

1945, and thee. otflorre ware be1 

"ir 

Id thla salary undsr the provlslr~n of nrtlcle 3$12 e ssotlcn 13 alloT.,.F?r 

for e 1,. lncraose for tech tillio.? dcllar taxekjls veluatlon in exce:.s of ~l~,CGC,COO.GG. : 0~16 the 1945 emsnd25nt to the s,>lar:q lcw allovA.lp 8 255, Increeea erply tc ths-s 

county o!'fIoIels ma!clng 8 salary In excas6 of 3bCC.W 9 

yczr ror 194LC ,:&t *:iotild bs t?i3 !c%xIau~ s'?lery tkt cc 1G 

bs paId theas of~'icIsls for the yser 19467” 

"Ith mferanoe to your quertlens concerni-& the saxinux 

oomprnaatlon of tha Col;nty ‘Trraeursr snd other oountg offioare of 

701% Send County, we nota that tha pOpul:tIon Of ?Ort Band CWLlty, 

is shown by the 194;; Fsdsral Csneus Is 32,963, The .mxlmum amount 

or the en, ual salsrlaa ?ilzlch the Co%nleeloners’ Court aey fix for 

said orfloors Ie govornsd by the provIsI:,ns of Section 13 of 

..rtIcla 351.-e, ‘iermnts .~n!:otatac! 'Civil tiitutes. El3 sbovs le.- 
. 

tionrd arrtlon oaatalna unaral ~rovlalona aa to tha aaarImum aalalar, qplioabAe to all ocuntlaa ha+- a population of 20,000 

lnhabitantr, and not IDON than 190,000 inhabitanta, aoto tha laat prroraIn# Fadaral cwlaua, aa roll aa 

lloabla undrr oorkia OIraumatIno~a, whrra Fe r 

art may allow oartaln 

to be ad&ad to tha amunt of the P 

l ro8ntagaa of Inoroeaa 

aalar aa rllowrd rsdrr @ha 

Aa l witi nraronoa to tin l nlarIoa 

0i 00tuy 0rf hariry a popolatlon botwaan 

20,000 and 190,000 Itibitanta l arordln6 to tha tat praoadla 

F’rdWil COMPI, Wa find 8ha fOil00it~6 iai~@~&a in 888tian 1) Oi 

Artlola )91Qa, Vornon~a Annotattrd Civil Statutaa: 

wlba ComIaaionara~ Car* in roontlaa hrvlng a popalatlon of tuaaty thouaaod (10,000) iahabltanta or aora 

and lraq than ma hundnd and nina8y tlsoPund (190 OOOf 

lnhabltanta cooordiag to the lrat 

.I8 h rrrbl utharl8ad y and l* dull c 

road*. Tadarai Cwiuua, 

ftr dutr to Ik tha 

aalarlai or l U. the folLew1~ oasr4 0m00r8, to-witr 

ahayIfY, l aaaaaor and oollaotor of tama, oountf judea, 

county attornay, lncludl~ orImina1 dletrlot attarnaya 

and so ua tl y ttornaya rhn prrimm the dUti88 Of dl8trIOt 

attorneys, Clatrlot olrrk, oounty clerk, treaaurur, h.Idr 

and adtam i~yrotor. Eaoh of wld ottlcara ahrll br paid 

In money ,an annual aalar In tvalrr (12) aqua1 Inatallmen* of not laaa than tha total lplp earnad aa 80 

‘s 

l nMt4.m by him In hi8 orrioial oapaalty for %hhr ii808 raar 

1935, and not more than th naarImum ammnt alloyed rrah 

oiflo*i under lnwr oxirtlog on August 24, 1935.” 

as to the ~?ER~ELIZI emu&t of Co~paMatlon euthorlzad un- 

.der laws cxiet.ing Jwy,u:t 21, 1535, for t&a ebove mine:! oificsrs, 

we call your ektentirn to the lollor.~ng statutory provisions; 

.4rtlcle 39L3. V. .+. C. S.1 

n The co.~lssio~a allmrd to any County ‘Treasurer 

rball not rxcssd Two Thousand Dollar (12,OOO.OO) aanual1jI . . . .” 

Artlclr 3851, v, ai. c. s t 

‘R”;aoh ofrlcar naxrd -la Chaptrr ahall flret out 

of the current fear ot bin oiiior pay or ba paid the amunt 

allowed him under the prctlslum of Article 3883, togrther 

wlth the salaries of his aaslstanto and drputlsa, and au- 
Bonorablr S?.dnay Jr Brown - Pa61 4 

thorlrra exprnaaa under etiolr 3899, 8rd thr amount nroraaary 

to aovmr ooata o? pnmlua on whatatrr mrrtv bond mar br raulrra by &w. 

e 

If tha ourmnt ?a08 o? auah orri0r oolhat0a 

n any par ba aora than the amount naadad to pay tha amounts 

l bora apaalfIaa aam abrll ba drama4 l xoaaa iaaa, 

ba dlapoaaa or in tha aannu bralnaitrr protIdad.n 

and. ahall 

“In ooun8Ira oontalni~ 88 tmant 88 twant7Wiva thouaand 

and ona (25,001) and not more then thirty-aman thocuand, 

?Irr hundna (37,500) lnhabltanta, dirtriot md oountr offiau8 maa4 harrln @hall ratein oar-third of 8U8h 810888 faaa 

until auab ona-third, Bogatibrr with tha 8aouat a aoifla~ In 

Artlloa 3663, rmunta to ‘&lrtp?lrr Pun&W Do1 P era ($3500.00).* 

Wtb awfaranoa to l uth o r ir outeln lng 

aroanta 88 o ? inonuaa So 

P 8 

yolod amunta alowad M u the grrvxsl provlaloru, tht parU8ent p r 8vldo na l ra: 

e8 huvl!a6 a Dopo&$Ion 

lababitaota and 1888 Ui@a )IrIrQ- 

(37.5001 l ooordIal to tha laat 

prroralng Fudsral tinsus, antieh&Ing an raarai~d valuation 

In rxcrsaso? Ylftrrn pillion ($15,000,000.00) Dollera, aocording b the last approrrd pnorclng tax roll&& auoh oounty 

tha mximum mount allowrd auoh offloan 88 l alarIra mar be 

Inonaaad ona (I$) par cant for eech Ona YIlUon ($l,OOO,OOO.OO) 

Dollar8 raluatlon or I’raotIonaI prt thrraof, In ax0888 Of 

raid 7Iftorn MIllIon ((15,000,000.000) Dollara nlratlon 0Ior 

and nbot8 tlm aerimum amount l llawrd l uoh offlorra under law8 

l xIatln6 on BUguat 2kr 19354. . . . l 

(2) Article 39120. :;action 13. Sub-dirlsion(8)(S. B. 123, 

Acts 19th ‘LN?. , 1,Ll) 

“The &~\mni~aLcnera co& ii hsrrby authorlzad. wher in 

thrir ju?pgant the financial condition-o? the cowiy and ths 

nasds of th crfimni justify tha lncraear, tc enter an order 

lncreasln~, the cospe~saticn of ti.8 Frsclnct, county and Ulstrict or’flctrr in sn e diticnal azcunt not to exceed tv:sntprivr (25%) per cant or the aurn allowed under the la& tor the 

fiscal year of 19~4, prcvldsd the total compensation authorized under the law for the fiscal year o? 1544 did not axcrrd 

the sum o? ‘dhirty-21x Hundred ($3600.00) i’ollaro. riddad Acts 

19i.5, 49th Leg., p. 2U, ah. 179, I 3.” 
940 

Eonornblr sldnry J. 3r ow - Pagr 5 

Wa not8 that the forreolng 9r~vinkta of Sub-dlrinlon (8) 

(S. B. 12,) wan not rffaotltr until May 9 1945. We not. further 

that thin dnpartmnnt held in Opinion No. 6-6575 that the forngoing proolnlonn of 9. 9. 123 a?8 not l pplloabln rhea thr amount 

of aompannatlon rothorl:ad by law for a partloulu offloor for thr 

rl~oal year of 1% nlr mora than ~~600.00. b order to drtnrmlnr 

whrth8r thn 9rorl8lon8 of 8. B. 12) are l pplioablr to thr rnrlow 

o??lOOr8 or Fort Band Comty, It 18 nannnary to drtnrmlnr tho 

a mo unt or 00 l Aa8tloA rhirh tha 18~ ruthorlzr~ rm raid orrlorr8 

for the flnoa 7. paa of 1944. Dnbor the &+?a1 ~rorlnioo 8 of 

S8otloA 1) of Artlo 39128, the offloorr Aarrd ooul4 hava brra 

d.lOwed th8 raxlaum Ooplp~88tiOil rhloh rush offloorr l ould hare 

ratafnnd undnr lawn rxlrting Augunt 24, 1955. Dhdrr law8 rxlntlng Augubt 2&, 1935 the County Twanurrr oould ha+8 baa l llowrd 

a mnxlmuia oomgnnnedon of $2 000.00 annually (Art. 3943), rhilr 

the mulmu annual compannntfon o? thr other o??lrorr nun04 In 

thn law wan $3500.00. 

quoted, the foregoing nmountn oould hrriom parUAdU tha ii?8% 8DaOid 0101 81&q l bOl0 

omt par milllm dollar or imotion thrno?, of oountr tu 

valuation in l x o n8n of $i5 OOO;oOO.OO, an #horn bf oh8 hat 

approved prordlllg tu roli. An to the fir081 year of 1944, 

the oounty tar valuation of Fort BoAa CouAtf an nhorn by thn 

last approved prrordlng tax mll (194)), aooordl to leiormatlon 

rurnlnhrd by the Shk Comptrollrr’n Offlor, wan 

Thun, uiulnr l ald npaolrl Drovlnion, the maximrun OmpaAB 

orlrnd undrr thn annral D rovlnlon 

02.000.00 - ootuh& trr88urrri $3 

of S8atlon 13, Art1010 39128 

,500.oo - othar orflo~r Maoa) 

oould hato booa lnororrod 88rontrea pnroont for tho flnoal year 

or 1944. Sinao the protlaloA8 of 6. 8. 12) (Sub- dlrlrlon (8) 

l uprn) nor0 not in l rr00t in 1944, thn total m~xlmkm otmpsnrat 1 OA 

whloh thr Coumlnnlon8rn* Court omld harr ruthorlrrd for the flnoal 

pear of 1944 ran O2,340.00 ($2,000.00 91~8 17%) for thr County 

Treasurer, and $4,095.00 (Tj,500.00 plus 17%) ior the other ofilcars 

namd ln Section 13 of Lrtlolt 39120. 

.b hnr -tofore ntatod, the provlnlonn of Sub-dlvlnlon (01 

of .Artlcle 39128 (5.3. 123) are ayplloablr only to those officers 

whose aOmpenn8tiM authdlzed by law ior the ?laoal year Of 1944 

did not exceed $3,600.00. Thun, in port 3end County, S. 3. 123 

would be ayplloable only to the nalary of the County Trnasurer. 

You are therefore advised thst under the provisions o? S:. 3. 123 

(Sub-division a, Zec. 13, Art. 3912r), when ln the Judgment o? 

the Comnl~nlonrrs* Court, “the financial condltlm oi the county” 

and the needs o? the oifloar justify the lncrOaae, the Co.mlssionery’ 
Hcmorrblo Sldaol J. Brown - Pagn 6 

COW% 18 rl%thDriZOd t0 OIltO? l A Order iKIOrOrOily th8 OOlB~ABBtJiOA 

Of tbr cOUAtT e088~1~ “IhO% t0 l IOOOd 8~On8J-fitO 9rrOOAt Oi hh0 

8u allowed udor tho law for tho flao41 par 0r 1944.a Tharorom, 

WdBr th0 9rw1*10a* or s. B. 123 tho CouatJ Tr*r*ur0r any br 

allmod a total ~axfaun ooon~rmtion of #2,925.00 ($2,340.00 Q108 

255) for &a fiBOA1 708? of 1946. 

8lnoo thn prorialoaa o? 8, II. 123 do not apply to tha 

OfflOOt OthB? 8h8A th0 OOUA~ wO8OUIWr rOtO?Trd t0 iXl kOtioXl 

13 of Art1018 39121, the mnrl.mm oompenn8loa of 8u.h oiflnara 

tOr tibr tiBOa1 w ot 1946 WOUM by aatonrind MUSE 8h~ rp001a 

prorlalon of no r d aaotlon rhloh authorlxra aa lnanrrr at am 

poroont par ml~llon dollara or tnotlon tharroi, af ooorrby tax 

valuation in 0x0180 of 815 bOO,OOO,OO rroordiq to thn laat 

prnoodlng rpgpwod *ax roli (1945). iooord* to you latter, 

I nlmtloa of %rt Band .ooUaty ,-a #32~,023,3~0,00. 

rximn8 aompazuaUoa 88thorlwd roda? tia 

of krtion 13, Art1010 39l20 ul be irronrrad 

or &ha tiaoal par o? 1946. T~I ma, Wnmfore, 

muham rompeaaatloa whloh mar be al&m& ieraald ofrloarr (UO8D*h.l6 f 

Of 1946 Wuld k $4,130.00 

OOtUltF ‘IhO#tl?W) ia th8 flirti l88r 

#3,500.00 DlW lti)). 

A0 b yOw qUO8tlOA OOACOrAiw t& MX~MULE 8818ry HO? 8 

drputy Oonrtabl8, wo call your rttontloa to tha ronoh ~ntatutory pror1010a0: 

hla trEura Of orfloa, 

8aoh offic8r Mud harnln Who 18 OC4lQ~liOPtOd 011 a fO8 baai 

8h8n anke, an prt of tho nport now raquirrd by law, an 

it4miZOd aAd BWOrA BtJJt%Q8nt Of all bh8 aOtUB]. 8Ad MOwBary 

8Xpensas incurred by him ln the oondunt O? his C??iC8.* 

)I . . .Th8 amount of 8~larl88 pald to ae:latantsaml 

deputlea shall alno be olrarly ahoWn by BuOh oicicer, glv11-4 the name, pOB:,tlOn, and amount paid each; and ln no 

avant shall any off1 cr ehoa any gr.zater xm.r.t than aotually paid any euch assistact or deptity. The axunt of 

8UOh OXpen8.8, teether with the amount of solarles paid 

to asslatants, deyutirn, Bad olerkn, ahan be pold OUt 

of th8 it308 earnod by l uoh o?fl:er.' 

Artiolr 3902. V. -':. 0. S.i 

n;h8never any dlntrlct, courity or praclnot orricar 

8han rsqclr8 thn snrvlc811 or dnputlae, asnlstsntr, or clarka 
. 942 

HonoroMo SldnIy J. Srw - p868'l 

in tha pufont~nor or hlr dutirr b rh8l.l apply to th8 

Couatr Coanlorionar~~ Court of hi8 oounty for ruthorlty 

t0 l pjdilt ruoh 48ptltl88, 88eifitcld8 Or elOrk8, 8tatlw 

br aworn 8DdiCOtiOll th nuder nwdrd, the porltlon to 

br l’ilhd M& th@ mount t0 b paid. SOid rDpli6atiOn 

#iI k l 8OOitDar.i8d br 8 8t8kmat rhOWia the p?OLdlrr 

rierlptr iroa f888, OOMid8#1001 and 8arpoanSlon to b. 

00uIOtd by raid OtiiOO a~~itkg th@ fha p8sr’MC 7&O 

prOb8hlr dlrbUrrrmlkt8 rhloh #kbll iE@ldO l ll wu?i$# 

and aXpaABa8 Or 8ai6 OrriOrl 8nd Uid 00~s 8bu mk0 

it8 O?dW authorltln( tbr 8$ p OintOaf l UI~h.'&pUst88, 6 

l 88i8ta ud nN3 Oh?k8 Ba d r iS th8 

thu d$hln tha llmitatS.oar hrnln 

OOE$ WU~OD b k . p 8i( l 

e8erihd ma amrhrrrinarter rrt oat. 

to tlu drputirs, irrlrtantr or 018rk8 l boro aamrd fa tholr . ( 

88W1088 8hd.1 b0 8 roa8on@ibl8 OM, ROt t0 8IU8.6 t~~fOllOY,- 

in& tmount8I. . " 

at. In 6Wd.8 8 hsVl~& 8 wpIi8tiOn id 6lOat7-fbO 

thOu8lmd ad On0 (25,001) @Iid tA@t IcQr@ thUi thktl-80-n 

thoarmd, rlrr hundrrd (J7.500) inhabltantr, rirrt l rrlrtat or ohm baptlty not to rroed ?wo TaounnQ Dollar8 

($2,000) par UUlU%) Other 88818t8nt8, da t1.r Or olrrkr 

nd t0 UO.rd .?4VOlltO8n Bmbrrd DO118r8 p(lt17001 par ~IWIJ 

88Oh.. 

“9. Th8 ccml83lrnar8 Court i8 hereby 8utkorizod, 

wkan in thir jufg-?ent the financial condltl 0 or tlm 

cOl;nty and the nacda Of the dclFUti.08, t8Si8t8lltS Sari OlsriSS 

or any fii8triot, county or prroinot orfloor ju3tiry the 

fnoreae8, to rntsr an order lncraaelng thr cozptneetim of 

such ds:.uty, assistant or clsrk in en additional aaouzt not 

to txcotd tw8ntpti70 (25%) par cent 0r thr 8UP tllowrd undaEtha 18W ior th8 fieCa1 r:ar Or 19L4, &eorlded th8 total 

cosptnsation authcirized und6r the law rw the ri8CSi year 

of 1944 did not trca,zd Thirty-six ‘%.mlred ($)itoC.OO) 

DOll8r8." 

-i8 not.0 thst 38CtiZ3 9, quoted above, (S. 3. 123p 
Honorable Sidn8y J. Brown - Peg8 8 

Ut8 not 8ff8OtiVt Ulitil EtJ' 9, 1945. Under th8 fOr8gOing provi8iOa8 Or SeOtiOn 9 the i7U3XiMUJt MIOUDt Or 8MUai OOIILpWI88tiOn 

8uthorlzod ror d.pUti88 under th8 law ror the ii8081 yerr 1944 

(980. 2, Art, 3902) m8y b8 iaOr8888d by tW8nty-flV8 p8r 08Ilt. 

In Vi8U Oi th8 rborr UOt8d prOti8iOn8, you 8I8 8dVir.d that 

the m8xlmUa oomjmarat P on rhloh nay b8 authorlard ror a fir8t 

d8pUtY ooarkblr in rort Bead county, ror the rho81 year or 

1946, 18 #2,500.00 ($2 000.00 p1U8 2%) Ub ior othrr dODUty 

OOn8tabh8, $2,i25.O0 f$i,700.00 piU8 25%). We i&Uth8r 8811 

t0 YOUr 8ttUltiOZA th8t the Comai88lOIl8r8' COUTt 18 WthOriS8d 

t0 @atOr aa OrdO? inOrO88ing thr OtXIQaa8atiOa Or 8au OrriOer8 

not to rroord tW8ntprlVo par ornt Ot th8 81111 tuthoriud Ud8l' 

th8 18W for the ii8081 ye8r or 1914 88 OO~Q~lI8OtiOLI ror 8Uoh 

68pUtr *v&on ia their judgment th8 fiMIiOiti OOnditim Or thr 

OOUUty tad th8 nO8d8 Of th0 tbpUtiO8. . . jU8tifr th0 i~~0~0880~” 

YOU W8 t&her 8dV18.d th8t t&l8 8818rle8 r~f~rl'.d t0 in AZtiol. 3902 a n o n l "Dar 8MUm" b88f8. 

A8 to YOUr quertloa ooaoeralng the travellag l w08im60r 

th8 8Oartabl., ua nfrr you to our Opinion NO. 04666, whioh 

u8 b@lLrr will ratiriaotorllp l ansr rour queotlon. wr 8m 

l nO108i45 8 OOpy Or 88ld OpiniOa rOr yOUr OoavMiOnu. 

It 18 to be Und8r8tOOd th8t U8 8rO mot &-in p888ing 

upon the oon8tltutionallty or th8t portloa or Subdlririoa 2 

of Artiolo 3883, V. A. C. S., rerrrrsd to in your lrttrr 88 

th8 prori8ion goreraing~the oomp8n8atlon or the oonrtables 0r 

Tort Bend County, iOr that qU88tiOLl i8 aOt b&OX'@ U8. 

Wr trlA8t th8t th8 rbor8 Md iOngOing Will 88ti8f8OtOrlly 

aa8u.r your laqulrlrr. 

Your8 very truly, 

ATTOFESY GAL3d, OF 'DXAS 

JL:?wb:W 

aoloeure - 1