OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN **GROVERSELLERS ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL**

Zonorcble S. H. Allen county nttoxncy 

### Hadlton Counbp Radlton, Texas
Dear Sir;

Your lstter ot Fab request1 ngthe opinion or.this department ‘ompcAaation of the 9 f .?htrlff of:Ystilton C as followo:

~flolals or said oounty 

### areoonpwuwted Qperforwmce of their oflfloisl sarvioes ual salary basis. 

### 61,i.rtlole 

### 16or the State Constitution, anonrjother thiog, provilss in ef ’ieot that tne Coadsslonara* Cart in Counties huving a pOptibtiOU Of lea6 than twenty thousand (20,000) lnhabitcmts sooordln~ to the then last prt~csding fe3eral census, s&all have tiaeauthority to deterdne whether county ofl’ioars mhall bb compeiisatc.6 on a fbt haeia or on a ealerp baeia.Iionorabls 3. R. Allen, pa&;*2 ’

.:;eotlon 2of Artiolr 39126, ?ernoa’s Annotated ClVil ::tatutd8, provides iA part:

*IA oountles havlnc: 4 population of lees than twenty thousand (?O,OOO) lahabltanta aoaordlng to the last praorlllng tedbral. eonbum, it shall likwise be tne duty of the Conmlssionl rs* Court, by its order duly 1~38 and eatsred of moor6 at it Pirat regrller meetin& in Jan4 uary ot eaoh 0, Unbaryeer, to dstwmlno whether oounty 0frlOiA of suoh oountp (cxolucilna oounty uurveyorc, registrars of vital st~tlstlos and notarj p&lios) shall be OOmpGrl8etd for t(?e fisocrl your ou the basis of anannual salary or whether they shall Oeoo=.>wwntrSUon the basis of fees earned by tbm in tha perfomaooa of their offiolsl duties, an3 it rhall also be the duty of the oowty clerk to forward to the Comptroller of i’ubllo Accounta of the Otete of Texas, on or bbfors the jlst dap of Januwl,‘a certiflcd copy of sail order of ealri Cormisaionsrs~ Court.” \ UAdbX' Art!.oler 

### 388jand 

### 3891,~el’non’c Annotated Civil Zitatutes, Me maximumoompansation that mcybe ratalne3 by tbe

.“.hsrlrf of :iao;ilton County cannot ~xobsd Throb Thouband ($jWO) '30111~s per aniium. The lherlff Is authorlssd *underArtlole 

### 3891to psy or be pal:1 the amcuat 

### rtlig#ed

binunder the psovlalons oi id%lole )82j, together with the salarise of hla aaeistan$s and deputjas. an.i a&horized exp&~~seswlur Artiols 3839, and the awlunt ~aeaeasary t3 cover costs of prelriumon wnatsver siiretg bonds that maybe rbqufrad by law, out of the o.irmnt feee of Me. o,Crloo. If tbc o~rrTi?.lt fees of auoh ofriou, oolisoted 5~n anyyaar, be r.ore than the amount naeded to pay the fu!mmt above 8geCiflea. the BC~ snali be .iea;,& axoeos leas and &-ml1 be dlui.0.~ed of ln ~JJG

wnncr Etated ln ,.rtlcle 

### 3691. 310 :shdrr 16 a&hrized to sake the atove ded.mtloae in arri+in.:, at his maximumoospensatioc.Honorable 3. R. Allen, pa&e3

hrtlole 

### 3934,Vernon*8 Annotated Civfl Jtatutea, ~rClVidO6:Vherlffs, ahall also rcoeivr the following ooapensationz "(1) Tar all prooees tesuc from the 3ipreaie **Court or**  **cgurts or**  Civil **Appeals,** terted by ther, the mffie f6a8 es are elloued ttem for rlz.ilar services upoz&roaena issue frocl the Metrlct Courts.

“(2) For eum~onlngjurora In dlstrlot and aountp oouxU+, serving all tl6otlon notlwm, notice6 to overseers of' road8 and doing a11 other Fubllc b;rslness not otheruloa provided ror, not exceeding ijneThousand ($1,000) 3011~s per annumto be fixed by the Comlseloners~ Court at the awaetime otimr ox off1010 salaries 

### are fixed, **snd** to be psi3 out of the general funde of the oo$lntyl provided that no auokiox offZolo salary shall be allowed any EhQriff whobaa reaelved E~maxf.mum

s&lary al1we.i by 1ew."

:,z sboro s;atcr;1, und6r id.iole 383 and Artlale )891, Y6rLlsll'B AflIlOt@it+d **civil** i%tUtGE, the :liaXihlU!? COBpensetlon 

### of the 

### 3htirirr of t.Kailton County oaanot 

### oxces~l Three Thousand (&jOOO)‘Dollars >er annum.

Under the above mentioned statutes, the C&I&Bsionars’ Court ~an~legallg allow the aherlff 61 otf~clo compansetlon not to exceed We l&uaand (jlOO0) Dollars per ye*r, provided, that the soid ex oXicis aoepeneatLon 4oee not l,ncreaee the **eom;ensatlon of**  **the sheriff**  **bejran.1**the maxlmlm*e provl3ed by law.Honorable 2. II. Allon, pnse 4

In ooaaeetloa with ths 

### foregoing we

### wantto pQint out that la rlew of ;\rtlole 

### 6869,Veraon*s &m(rtated Civil Ststutes, that it is our opinion that the Coami~8fonsrs~ Court oan legally pay the salaries of deputy snerlffa out of the general fund ol the county, if la the opinion of the Comissfoners* Court, fees, of the ahmiff ’s ofii@e are sot sufficient to justify the papent of the salaries of such leguties. Thesslsriss of a;lah 1ayJtlea are to be dctermindd as provided by Art:crle 3902, Yernmfs Annotated Civil ‘:tstut6s.

Yours ver;l :r4ly,