OFFlCE OF THE AITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

tkouaand tour 

l xmr dlRg DOí 

t ot your letter 

ion of thet*m 

ot, oountf or p mo ln0t 

eer vio eis 4eputiir, c 
352 

the ooqxumatlon to be paid thea tithln the 

liotitatlona hornin p,rssQrIbcd arid dOtsmIne 

the ma&or to be appei.tie4 se In the dIr.uretion iS srid uourt my be groper: pmvltied 

thet la no ctxse nhR11. the Comxlusiwyws* 

Court or any member ther+of attmpt to Influmot! the eppo9lntrmt of any person as wg&!aai~, 

aesletant or olark in any ofrim. $oa.the 

CSK?,T~ oi 6uch Order the OffiWJru mpplyI!I& 

for suoh (~sslstanta, deputies or olerks shall 

be authorized to appoint them; provtae4 bhat 

said aac.peneatlat shall not l xaeed t&e maxlmum mount BerulMttar met out. The earapenoatlon whiah nny 8s allowid to the ~deputIbs, 

nas:stnnta ar alerks above named Ear their 

semloos shall be a roseona&le one, not to 

oxosed, the fallowing 6usvxmtst 

*l. In oountles having a population or 

twwty-five thoun6ad (S&00) or leue iababitents, first essistsnt OP abid deputy not to 

mxoeed Li@teen Ruedred~ (#18~0.~0) Dollars 

pet ennum; 0th~ assistants, ita fibs 0T clerks 

not tf~ sxoed 4FW8eea lftmdred ( r lSOO.001 DOIlero pnr snnum 6sch....* 

'Ihe lan l..pos*o uyoe eaaa elecatlvs '8Imoldl of 

the county oertaln d#ilss commoted with bie'attlo~ rrhioh 

he ia obllpm#d to fsIthfully dlsuberg0 and.parfo~~~. Es 

is msponalblo for oerteln aatr ai tla deputy; m&in She 

ratter of attsndiae; to end periow~ the autls8 ef hlr, 

office, tha law holCs him res)pnslble. Xi~nf duties oonneoted with a public o?flae nuat naossaarilg be pertomU bl 

olarloal workera, asslat~nts an4 deputies, who eonsaqusnt1.y pe9l=fOr~ their dUti@S 60101r Wider the diTSatiOll Of the 

prlaalpal *n of'tluo. ~epaalally 18 this true ahers their 

Uutiee sre nclt re%ulatsct by statute. 

%unty alerk deputies are oonaidsrrd pub&~ offiCQFB. 'i?l a true senm they .perform govsrnmontrrl~~funotions, 

sharing the rnsponsfbilita dir of~ios with thefr pritiolpal. 

In our oginioa Hi5 01lG41, 4lreate4 to Ron, Tom 

lkray, county At;tomey, &zarlllo, 'Paxsa, arittawby IIan. %I. 
47. 3. ~-ia pl ~reistant , izttorney Ganexul, it wae hdd that 

"the ccy;.~:iml::n@ra' crux-t of a county does not have the 

autkqrity to ~?a% an order providing that no vaoations 

with pay aball be allorPad any emplo~so of the oounty or 

deputies ar astiistnntn of aouat7 offleers until kmd unleas ~N!I percons have b6en employed for a parlod of OIM 

year. Suo!l ordm, belnff.bb%yond the soaps oi ptxfer and 

suthority veatad ia the a~mia~tioaers’ crnwt, Is ultra 

rims nnn vo:d." 

Tjnder ii*lcle 3802, eupm, the omqmnsatlon 

which ia sllcwed to dqn&ies, uasi~ants and elerktr o? 

the various aountp ofiicla~n fox their nsnlara h f$xe4 

on an annual beaia not to exo~d the maxiapsr thsre1.n~ 

st0tod. 

You tee rss+pecttully 8drlocrd that it is t&k 

oplnicr: of this deprrrtaent that the oomty-clerk haa the 

aathoritp to,pay a deputy WI wgu.In~ salary during the 

.+#tJ?@or 6th deputy f%m a~bys!ont due to aioknese 

ox raaatioa for a reasamble length ot Wm. 

Quang tlwt th? hregoln& fully anmnora your 

inQUiXY, we xemln 

very truly youra 

A?l”‘W:W 0&2#E'RAL 67 TEKAZZ 

BYoblueNL 

Ardell Willlaas 

keaiattont