## TEE ATITORNEY GENERAL OFT!EXAS

Iionorablc

ho. EI.t;heppard t’omptroller

or Public Accounts Austin, Texas

ikmr m, SP.eppard: Opiuion tlo. O-2455

hr lu[ay

the Board OS Directors of axa collegeOf AZ-to and Isdustrferl.zMW.ly pay 

### to the seoretary 0r the B0ard 

### a salary 

### aasesr%tary, ULd

llkoria~ pay to himrmunoraflon rat eervlces

### in ~0naectWn with t&s mertisatiea of dOrnitQQ'bZbdSWXH.Wiitt

"The Secretary of the Baud of Direotore of theTexas Collage of Arta and Xndurtrie8 livea in Kingsvi~le nhara this inrtXtution irr located.ISain called tqon to devote a loge number of hours sackrlionth to duticlr

connected dtb the cbllege. Se fr also the dheotor of the bond fand account that is set as&de to amortlse the donaftorfrrbuiltunder ths Pub**lib** Biorks Admfnfatratlonr

“2. Csn he le+lly draw rer-lunerctfon for his time aad efforts fn conueotiondth the amortlrntfon of the domitorisa bond accmnt, provided the Board oi i.4.reotora so orderat"1%~ 'iotas College of Arts and Induatrlsat Kingsvillewas ormatedby 5.53. No. 293, ch. 286'0f the regular aeaaion /+l.at. Lag., 1929. (Vernon*s Cfv. Stat., Art. 262h-1 to 7)

"The Zotid of Dlreorors.alull

### organbe by electirq;

a President of aaid Board of Erectors, and auoh 

### otherofficers aa they may desire."

This Sectfon &a a vary ixportan.t bkmrlng on the ~estioz propoilnded by.,you,

Pnd its conatruetion, therefore, Ia lmperatlve.Atmmna,~wo thluk that the i,oa~i Of Hxoctora aa a pr~llmainary to tne transaction of thsir statutoryduties, ins&l organire the Board that itmay fun&ion properly, by electing f?m ths wssbera

a Preaidsnt, and such ether efSlosra aamay be deairable.There la a diatinatlonbetween the Beardaa au& and the institution of rhiuh the Boaad la given statutory control. Tha oqanlaation of the Board pertalna to tha Board*a internal sffrira,and haa no diretot oonneation dth tha funatlona or statutoryduties of tha Board in aontrollint:

the Wllegs. Tha Preaidant and aua?~other officma as my be nsceaaary are te be elected from tha amaberahIp of the Board, and tha dutiaa of au& Praaldent and other officer8 aa are thua elhotedme thoae auparlmpoasdupon the partlaular dlxwotoaaaoaeptlug the olYlaee in the Board thus dealgnsted. mat ia to say, tha duties parfozmad reapactivelyby the Prealdant and bg the Searetary era the duties of auohpersona aa directors e1acti.d by the Board to those apeolalpoaitiona.

The Dfrector-Prealdentand the DirsctorBeoretaryare thus atatutmy civil officers of tiis State, perfoxmlq an kaportazat funotfon fn the diacharge of a ,;overmentalprsro,gative; they am not privatsly createdpoaitiona of employment.

"In the a:~aence of express conatltutlonal provislon, the conxgenaatlon of officers (as contra-dlslixqtiahsdfrorziampoyeea) zust be fired by the LoSislatum,

or by aom3 governing body whichhas bean expreaaly authorlsed to do so. The power of the courts to sllow a raaaonable com-gcnaation for oervices performed bg om iudlvidual at the request of another, whore the Oonapeneation 1s not fkxed by contract, does not exist in regard to the feea of p;lbllcoffioers, in tha ab8eaoe of en expre8e t;rahtof authority; mad the f'allureof the Leglalature to exercise lte oon8tlt&onal power to provide for the scompan8atlon of offlaer8 aannot clothe the courta ~5th eutlrorltyto act." -- 

### 34Tex.
Jur. P. 506 6 103.

It 1s a foenlliarrule of law that &ore the law oreatlng an office does nokprovlde spaoifi0al.l.y for lees to be charged by the officer, 

### or other conpen8atlonl he 1s not authorized to charge or oolleot 8UOh fee8. 

### 34Tex. Jur.pp 522-524, S 

### S l.U, l&

Th8rS aI'%8eVeI%&CrltOrl8 Wh.tChbV% b.an PIsorted to ln determlnlng whether a pemmon 

### Is apublia oirloer or amere emplo~e, ohlefest of whloh are the 

### delegationtothepamon filII-i.ng thepo8ltion of 8olW part

or the ilOV%lw power or runda0n8 of govemna4nttD be 

### axeralmd bIn% tarthe benefit of the publio, and 8 tenure or cant uoun cmrvlacsrather than an o4oralonnl exerelse of the @tiera of the poeition. See *Offioer# &6 Car. Jur. p. 9213$i'%

### 19, 20. 

### 21. So, 

### aho, of aourme, 18 the 

### f'urth%r

ChaPeOterist~o that the po8ltion if oreoted by law le ordinarily an ofSloe, whereas if are&ted merely by aontrr%Ct,it 18 ordlnmlly a rmre @@putU& 88e 8ame authority Q 22. 

### seeaho ouropinionBO. 2226.

It is not eaeentlal to the areation.of M office that the incumbent be **required** to give a bond-- our i)overnor and our .judgeame not required to give bond-- 

### nor 18 it incumbent that an ootb of office be take% The8e are merely additloual lndlcla of public office, rather than emp&mer&

We conalude that the Secretary to the Board of Dire&use of Texas College of Arts end Indnetrles ia a 01~11 officerunder the law.

Epon theee conelderations, we rs8ppectfullyadvise that.the Board of Dlreotros of Taxae College of Arts and Industriee may not lawfully pay to Its Seoretary any salary or compensation whatever for the rervicea perfomedby h&iIti **8UOil** Cap8Clty. frO8IWhbh it fO11W8 that

both of your q.zestiona shoul.d be 8nsmred in the ne;:ative;

BY da Oale Sp8er Oole Spew A88lstant