JIM MATTOX Attorney General

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# The Attorney General of Texas April 21, 1986

Honorebla Jasusa Sanchez-Vera Jim Walls CountyAttorney P. 0. Drawer 2080 Alice, Texas 78333 OpinionNo.JM-480
Ra: Whether a vetaren's county service officer may simulteneously sarva as e city councilmen
Deer Ms. Sanchez-Vera:
You ask whethaere veteran's county service officer may et the same tima sarva ae a city councilman. You point out that articleXVI, saction 40, of 1:baTaxes Constitution prohibits one person from holdingmore than one civil office of emolument et the same time, end ask whether e vatcram county service officer and the city councilmen of a particular cityboth hold civil offices of amlment. Prior Attornsy General Opinions have held that the veterans county sarvicaofficer occupias e civil office of emolument. Attorney General Opinions '7-144(1947); O-5675 (1943);Latter Advisory No. 61 (1973). Thase opinions state that the veterans county serviceofficer is a civil officm of molumaat but do not discuss his duties or provide any other reesons for their conclusion. Subsequentta the issuencaof Latter AdvisoryNo. 61 (1973),this officedaterminad that therewas no distinctionbetween "civil office" and "public office." AttorneyGeneral OpinionMU-415 (1981)concludad that the defint:ion of "public office" articulated in Aldina Indapandant Schoo:,District v. Standlay, 280 S.W.2d 578 (Tax..1955) also applies to the term "civil officer" es it appears in articleXVI, section 40 of the Taxes Constitution. Thus,

the datarmining factor which distinguishes e public xfficer from an amployee is whether any sovereign function of the govarnmant is conferred upon the individualtobe exercisedby him for the benefit of the public largely independent of the control of others. AldLna Independent-SchoolDietr&mt~~y.Stendlay:supra et 583 (quoting 740 (Tex. Civ. App. - Dunbar v. Brezoria County, 224 S.W.2d 738. Galveston 1949,WI 516 S.W.2d 133 (Tm. 1974). !Ttref'd) (amphesisdeleted). Sac Green v. Stawert,

. This is the definition "a must emlv to determine whether the vatarens county service officer is a'civil officerwithin articleXVI, section40, of the Taxes Constitution.

p. 2197MS. Jesuse Sanchez-Vera- Pega 2 (JM-480)

Article 5787, V.T.C.S., creates the office of veterens county service officer. The commis:xtonerscourt may maintain end operate such an officewhen It determdnrs

that such en office is a public necessity in order that those residents of a county who have served in the ermad forcc!smay promptly properly end rightfully obtain t'le benefits to which they ere entitled.
. . . V.T.C.S. ert. 5787. 51(e). The commissloners court appoints the vatarens county service offj.cerend any assistant vetarens county service officers es ere necessary end pays their salary end expenses from the general funds of tha county. The veterans county service officers end the assistants f!ervefor a two year term unless sooner removed for ceuse by the cclurmissioners court. The duties of the veterans county serviceoffictz end assistants

shellbe to aid all residentsof the county end/or countiesproviding fclrsuch officerswho served in the Military, Navel, or other Armed Forces or Nurses Corps of the United States during any wer or peacetime l

nlis~xaant,end/or veterans end/or orphans end/ordepandants in preparing. submitting and presentingany claim against the United Stetas or any state, for compensation. hospitalization, insurance or other itam or benefits to which they mey ba entitled under the existing laws of the United States, or of any steta, or such laws es may haraefter be enacted, pertinent thereto. It shell also be thel.1: duty to defeat all unjust claims thatmay come to their attention.
V.T.C.S. art. 5787, 51(c). No fees may be charged of applicants. Veterans county service officc!rs end assistant officersare given official entry into records of the alaamosynary end penal institutions of the State of Taxes . . . for the purpose of determining the statusof any parson confined therein in regard to any benefit towhich suchpersonmey be entitled. Id. $1(d). Contiguous counr:j:es mey agree to "jointly employ and Gpenseta a Veterans County ServiceOfficer.
. . .II Id. §l(a). - Your request letter dltscribasthe functions of the county veterans serviceofficer as fo:llows:

[Ha]acts es e 1:Leson officerbetween veterans, their widows and/or dependents end student veterans end the F'ilitery,Social Security, the Veterans Association or Educational Institutions. ?

p. 2198Ms. Jesuse Sanchez-Vera- Page 3 (m-480)

He helps prepare end handle the paperwork between the individual :md the agency. BeI mekas no decisions or da:terminetions of the veteran's eligibility. All decisions end eligibility detarmluetions ece meda by the Military, Social Security, end Veteran’s Association, or the Educational Instj,tution. The vatarens county s,arviceofficer assists others to apply to various governmantal agencies for vaterens benefits, end ha has no power to grant or deny eny application for benefits. Although veterans county service officers have a duty "to defeat all unjust claims that mey come to their attention," this provision dots not authorize tham to deny cla:ims; that euthority restswith the state or federal agencywhich edmiulstars the particularbenefit program. The veterans county service xEficar ten assist in defeating "unjust claims"by refusing tohair prepare such claims.
In our opinion, the vatarens county service officer is en "officer" In neme only. Be does not exercise any sovereign function of government. A veteran hss legal authority to submit his claim to the appropriate state or fe:daral agencywithout involving thevetarens county service officer. The latter individualmerely provides those ministerial services nacassery to assist the veteran in applying for benefits. Although article 578" creates "en office" end identifies the occupant es the "Veterans County Service Officer" it dots not grant him the powers of a public officer. The veterans county service officer is not s civil of::llcar of amolumant, but a county employee. He is not barred by article XVI, section 40 from serving es e compensatedcity councilmarl while he alsoholds employmentes a county vatarens sarvica officer. Attorney GeneralOpinionsO-5675 (1943)and V-144 (1947),end Letter Advisory No. 61 (1973) era overruled to the extent inconsistentwith this opinion.
SUMMARY The veterans county service officer whose position is estel~lishad by article 5787,V.T.C.S., dots not hold a public office. Ha is e county employee end Is not barred by articleXVI, section 40 of the Texas Constitution from serving es a compensatedcity councilman.Very trulyyou 

# J ti

AN > IM MATTOX Attorney General of Taxes

p. 2199Ms. Jesuse Sanchez-Vera- Pa:%=4 (JM-480)

JACK HIGHTOWRR FirstAssistnntAttorneyGeneral
MARY KELLER ExecutiveAssistantAttorney General
ROBERT GRAY SpecialAssistantAttorney General RICK GILPIN Chairmen,Opinion Committee Preparedby SusanL. Garrison AssistantAttorney General .

p. 2200