. 

OFFICE OF THE A-ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Honorable !Chmas L. Blanton, Jr. 

County At.torney 

ShackaHord County 

Albany, Texas 

Dear Sk 

Vie have reaeioed 

that S@.o$slrord 

+llowlng’~aestians: 

ssionWs* Court”aatho~!ize 

ay an ex-orfioio salary &o tha 

*5.~ f&it is the mxlmm ex-off&al0 salary 

the county can pay out of thk General Fund to the 

sheriff and the clerk where the fees of orfioe are 

not sufficient to pay the maximum allowed tm¶er 

Senate Bill no. 123~ 
Hc?ncrable Thomas Lc Blanton, Jr., page 2 

r 

1; “6. can the 

the salary of the 

to $2,500.00? 

*7i, Can the 

comdt3slonersb Court increase 

county Treasurer rram $2,000,00 

. 

COzmfssionersb Court oontloue 

to draw $300.00 per year for traveUlng expenses . 

within the .oouuty heretorare authorized by Article 

2350, Section 7, or are they limited by Iiouse Bill 

. . ~84 to travelling expenses lncurrbd outside of the 

oomty on official county busineeslW, .-’ 

&!tlcle 3899, V. A.. CL S.; Sec. (a), is as rollowsw 

: .‘. 

. . 

I 

*’ *(a) - At the close of each month oi his tenure 

6f office,’ each off.ioer named herein who is cornpensited .on a ree basis shall make; as part of the report now required by ,law, an itemized and sworn 

statement of all.the aotual~and necessary expensqs 

luaurred-by him in'the conduot or his office xmch 

ae.statlonery, atamps, teLephone, premiums oa oiflcla16t bonds lnoludingthe coat-of surety-bonds . 

for his deputies, p~emlu21 oh.fire, burglary, theft, 

robbdry insurance proteatlng pub110 fun.@, traoellng 

‘expenses, and other necessary expenses; provided, 

that in addUilm-to the officer8’nametl herein, the. 

oounty freamr8k, c-ounty auditor, county-road commissioners, oouzity. school superintendant, and the 

iiide and animal inspector ~&all likewise make a 

report on the premluma,on> orrloiols* bonds, includlng ljhe cost or, surety bonde tar .ang aeputles, and 

s&I premiums shall be subject to payment, out of 

f;ha fees of said office, as herein otherwise provided ro.~ the orricefa nam0.d; ana rovldea ruxther 

t&at if any of the officers so aas P. gnated are on 

a aala~y rather than a fee basis, thah all such 

bond. pr&nlums for officers ena their deput.ies 

shall be ~$4 from the General run& or the county. 

The Comnlsiioners’Court~oi. the county of the 

aherlrf*s reslaance may; upon the written aub 

sworn applicntion oi’ the sherllf stating the 

necess&ty the--efor, purchase equipment fox a . 

Bureau of Criminal fdentiflcatlon suoh as oa&~as, 

fingorprlnt cards; lx&s, chemicals, mloroscopPs, 

radio and laboratory equipment, filing oards, 

filing cabinets, tear gas, enb other cqulpment in 

keeping wlt$ the system in use by the Departamen? 

: 
Bonorablo Thmas L. Blenton, Jr., page 3 

of Pub110 Safety of this State or the %ltea States 

Deprtzxent of Jastice and/or Bureau of Crlmlnal 

Iasntiricatl0n. If such expenses be incurred in 

mnneotl~ c1t.h my particular case, such statemut 

shall nane such case. Such expense account shall 

be 6ubjcct tom the audit-of~thc'county-audltor, l$ 

any. otherwise by the Comfssloners Court; end ii 

It appears thst any item.of such expense was not 

lnomred by sach oiflcer or-such item uas not a 

necessary expense of office, such ltea shall be by 

owh auditor or coort rejcoted, in Mch case the 

collections of such item my be adjudlcsted In 

.auy court or coxpetent jurleaictlon. The axouut of 

‘salaries paid to assistants and deputies shall eleo 

be alesr~ shoun by such officer, giving the naxe, 

position, autl amount paid each; and in no event. 

shall any officer show auk meater mount #ah 

actually-pald any such assistant or depUty, The 

.-ant of such expenses, together 14th the estzt 

of sslarles nald to assistants, damties. end 

clerks. shall be uald out of tha fees earnedby 

such officer. ibe Cmcussloners Court of the’ 

oounty 0r the h3rirr*s residence my, apon the 

tmltten ena sworn application of the sheriff stat- 

*the necessity t&efcir, allm oa& or CLore autohloblles to be used by the 8hWiff in tha discharge 

of his official duties, which; if purchased by the 

County, shall be bought In the maruaer prescribed b,y 

h3W fOP ths pUm&S6 Of ~Upp&h? a!Id pid iOr OUc 

of the General Fund of the county, end they shall 

be and‘ remain the property'oi the"ticuntyFTbe 'expense of maintenance, aepreciatlon, ana operation 

of +~ch.auto~obiles as may be allowed, whether 

&urohasad .by the county or ovmed.bg the shorlff or 

his deputies persoually, shall be paid for by the. 

sheriff aua the amount thareof. shall be reported 

by the sheriff, on the raport above mentioned, in 

the sase manner as herein prOVidt3d for other QXpens6s.~ (Underscoring ours) 

Artlole 6869, V. A. C. S., provides, ln part, a 

.-. 

.S 
l . . . it in the o p inio n or the caamlsslonora* court r98~ 0r the shearif orfloe art3 not 

aufflclent to Justlip the peynfint of aalarlas or 

each deputies, the Commlaslonors* Court ehall have 

the powr to pay the.aame out of the General Fuud 

of aald oouuty.." 

: 

fn-our opinion Ho. 0-&32,-a copy .of v&l&i we heredth anolose,-we,-BeIda 

'*In aonneotlon ~5th tie r028&0hgwt3 y~llt ti 

point Oat that lwvlen of '&tlols 6069,,nm.1im'a' 

Aunotated Clvll Statutes, that it le our opinion 

that the CQmnisslcners~ Court aanlegallypay the 

wlaxlea of degutg eherlfirr out of the Seneral fund .~ 

or the Oount,y, lr in the opinion ar tie cocmi~sion- 

.~t)rd court, ieeo or the sharl.fil*a 0rrl00 are not 

sutrioim to justiry the pay5cmt or the~.salariee. 

or such deputies. The salaxlea or Such deputlea 

areto.be determined da prqolded by.Mtlo&e 3902, 

Vt3xnon~s Bnno*atad .ClvS+ t;atutes.* ,. .;, . 

it l&.&r ogLnlon that salaries of aaelstante or daputles in 

Thereiore, in an&ax to your quastl'ons nos. 1 a&l 2, 

the oIark*e orfloe must be paid out o;r: th6 fees of otr+e.,aa 

provldsd..by Aztiole 3899, Sea. (a), supra4 'Ths.salar1es.o~ 

the asalstants'or deputies b the she~iw8~0frl00 nuij be pa&d 

out.or th0 general rmd;lr ic the opinion or the ctm5z8810ner8~ 

court, tees of the sherlrr's office aka not sufSloient to juatlry payment 'of: the 8ak%rlS8 or au&h deputies, a5 provided ln 

Arti& 6869, 7, 4. q. s. .soe al8o.oopies.0r~~.r+x oplnlona 

AoL$-&?+,~snd 0-5367, ooples of whloh we herewith &oloser 

;.hxtlbleJf&, i&o; (a), quoted &W..s, m@3s lt &andatory’that the,S~pspaRet3B of-the, 0rfi00 Or the ofrlolals named 

thereinbe pald~out':of!i$aea or orfioe. ThorerOx, in aziaw~l: 

to your .thlrd queatlan, it 1s ouroplniox that the expelr,sa 

of the aherlW8 ofrloe ana automobile sxpense nlust be paid 

out or re08..0r 0rrm.. It n1I.I beg notea, howevts,, ,that sold. 

Artlole 3399, Seo. (a), provides that the Ctxmnlea~onara~ Court 

map, upon written ana aworn applloatlon of the MmriPf atetinS 

the neceseltp therefor, allow ow or more~automobllas to beused by the aherlti in the dlsahwge of.his offlola5. autlae', 

ad sold autoxobllea may be'purchased by the county tid pala 

far out or the general. fund, but the sxpen80 or nalntonanaa, 
’ 

_ . .‘. 

-. 

: 4Uitiable Thomas I.. .Blanton, Jr.,, page 5 - -. 

depreolatlon; and operation or such automobiles must be paid 

t%,pttt 0s f0133 0r 0rfs08. 

, 

we quote the 'rollowIng fraa our tiplnlon Eo. O-6592, 

in : 

!..I 

aa oopy of vbloh ha6 already bsen sent to your _._ ,.-._-... 

l : . Yihe IIE&IIIO~ ex-ofrlolo o o mp ens& lo n which ‘imy 

__~._ - ., be alloored ,sald Sheriff le eng -mua wh%eh,..%hen-added 

.- to other oompensatlon and 6x068s fees allowed to be, 

retailed by him under said Articl68 3883 and 3891, 

does not caua6 suoh officer to reoalve a total dampensatlon ln tzxoe68 Of Three Thousand .&van Hundred 

snd Fifty Dollars ($3,750.00) per year. 2-n no event 

. could th6 if938 Or orrioe and ex~offlalo compegiatlon 

retained by him exoeed the !naxQinxn of lkwi Thousand 

'Seven Hundred .and Firty Dollars ($3,750.00). In 

., other words, the marlmum amount or 6ompensatlon rrqt 

any 6ouroe whloh .h6 is allaed to retain oaunot 6x1 

: .oeed Ttme ThoaSana Seven ;HundreQ and W.fty Dollara 

IS3.750.00) per seari" 

‘?’ 

. 

~.'The aam6 statutes with .rmt0n06 to ocmpensatlon 0r 

sherdrf are applloable to .olerjcf?;~ therefore, in ansuer to your 

roorthand rirth questlana, it la oux opinion that the cihertii 

and czerk may be paid an ex-offiolo sal.arg...~fIh6~.waxlmtnn ex- 

@fioZo .oompensatlon which may be -allowea4he sheriff or olark 

ieianp aurn which, when addsd to other 0ompenaatlon and excess . 

fees alllowed to be retained does not oauae euch OrflWr to re? 

3.. eeive a~total oomp6nsatlon ~n~exoeas of Three Thousand Seven 

- Hundred a+l Fifty DoUarEl ..f$3,750.001. 

,. t 

. drticle 3943 sets the maximum oompaneatlon oi the 

county treasurer in a ree ootmty at Q2,OOO;OO. Sine6 .mia 

.~ artto was not anended by Senata Bl3.l 123,-your elxth qtmstl6

la ausvrered in the. negative. See 0119 opinion XO. O-6588, a 

oopy of. rrhloh we have already s6nt you* 

. . 

- Artlola 2350(7), V. A. C. S, (Senate Bill 319, Chaptar 362, Acts 48th Legislature, 1943) reads_aa~ rolloms: 

9-1 all countleo of this stat6 having a~ populetion of leas than txentg-flv6 thousand two hundred (25,200) according to the last &rocadlnS Federal .: 

Census, the Cozmlssioners Court of suoh oountles lo 
. 

Honorable manas L, Dlanton, ax., #age 6 

. , 

hereby authorize8 to allow eaoh Com~IssIonar the 

sun of not more than Tweuty-five ($25.00) Dollars 

t 

er month for. traveling expmea while on offlclal 

usluess In eald counties.* (i?allpS ours) 

‘In our o&Ion No. O-6002, It was held: 

“Said Art. 2350 (7) does mt authorize the 

.4bif&s8ion8r81 Court to pass 8 geheral~~order allowlng~ the flat sum of nwmty4iva Dollats to each 

oormissloner each month for travolihg exp811ses:~ 

Such~ mm Is already available to each ocmissioner 

by *vI.r tue of the law provlded he actually Incurs 

such.&nouut as oontemplatcd by statute. He oaunot 

bg.oompensated Sor more than Buoh amount incurred 

in auy oue month but nsy Incur less, and the sctual 

amoqqt Inoarred Is the crltsrlon which the Court 

must go by In Issuing Its~ order for compensation.” 

’ &u*e Bill 84; Chapter 204, Aots 49th Legislature, 

1945, pr~vitw.in part a8 roiiow8: 

*Se&Ion la. The Cmlsaionercr Coart Iheaoh 

oounty Is hereby authorized to PI 3y the ~aotusl travel-, 

Ing expeaaes Iuourrsd ad;Ile trai%iInR outsld~e oft tha 

eouhty on offIola1 oovnI$ business nevox~ to exoeed 

&ree.llundrod Dollarc ($300) In any ok year ior saqh 

said offIolal.n (Eqhasls ours) 

House.DIll 84, supre, ‘doe’s not repeal or amend 

.ArtIcle 2350(7),, V. A. C; S., 

said article. Therefore, 

but It Is ~merelg’ ounuiotivs .a?. 

In answer to your seventh quastlon, 

Its Is the oplnlon oi this departmnt that’enoh cozmIssIoner 

Is entitled to Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) ,travelIng expense 

in the county fox. saoh Iconth, provided, -of oo~se, that suoh 

traveling expense is necessary and actually expended by such 

oomlsgloaer during said month while he Is on official buslness In the oounty. Moreover, the oomnlssIoners axe entitled 

to travelktg expense Incurred while traveling outside the 

county on oounty busInness never to exoeed Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00) In any one year as providad by ‘Ii. B. 84, supra. 

..: 
Zlonorable Thomas L, Blanton, Jr,, page 7 

I 

in&rpT 

We trust that we have aatisfaotorilg answered your 

Your8 very truly 

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