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 college Of AZ-to 

and Isdustrfer l.zMW.ly 

pay to the seoretary 0r 

the B0ard a salary aa sesr%tary, ULd llkoria~ pay 

to him rmunoraflon rat 

eervlces in ~0naectWn 

with t&s mertisatiea of 

dOrnitQQ'bZbdS WXH.Wiitt 

"The Secretary of the Baud of Direotore 

of the Texas Collage of Arta and Xndurtrie8 

livea in Kingsvi~le nhara this inrtXtution irr 

located. ISa in called tqon to devote a loge 

number of hours sack rlionth to duticlr connected 

dtb the cbllege. Se fr also the dheotor of 

the bond fand account that is set as&de to 

amortlse the donaftorfrr built under ths Publib Biorks Admfnfatratlonr 

“2. Csn he le+lly draw rer-lunerctfon for 

his time aad efforts fn conueotion dth the 

amortlrntfon of the domitorisa bond accmnt, 

provided the Board oi i.4.reotora so orderat" 
1%~ 'iotas College of Arts and Induatrlsat 

Kingsville was ormated by 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 other officers aa they 

may desire." 

This Sectfon &a a vary ixportan.t bkmrlng on 

the ~estioz propoilnded by.,you, Pnd its conatruetion, 

therefore, Ia lmperatlve. At mmna,~wo thluk that the 

i,oa~i Of Hxoctora aa a pr~llmainary to tne transaction 

of thsir statutory duties, ins&l organire the Board that 

it may fun&ion properly, by electing f?m ths wssbera 

a Preaidsnt, and such ether efSlosra aa may be deairable. There la a diatinatlon between 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 statutory duties 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 elhoted me thoae 

auparlmpoasd upon the partlaular dlxwotoaa aoaeptlug 

the olYlaee in the Board thus dealgnsted. mat ia to 

say, tha duties parfozmad reapactively by the Prealdant 

and bg the Searetary era the duties of auoh persona aa 

directors e1acti.d by the Board to those apeolal poaitiona. 

The Dfrector-Prealdent and the DirsctorBeoretary are thus atatutmy civil officers of tiis 

State, perfoxmlq an kaportazat funotfon fn the diacharge of a ,;overmental prsro,gative; they am not 

privatsly created poaitiona of employment. 

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

or by aom3 governing body which has 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;lbllc offioers, in tha ab8eaoe 

of en expre8e t;raht of authority; mad the 

f'allure of the Leglalature to exercise lte 

oon8tlt&onal power to provide for the 

scompan8atlon of offlaer8 aannot clothe the 

courta ~5th eutlrorlty to act." -- 34Tex. 

Jur. P. 506 6 103. 

It 1s a foenlliar rule 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.tCh bV% b.an PIsorted to ln determlnlng whether a pemmon Is a publia 

oirloer or a mere emplo~e, ohlefest of whloh are the 

delegation to the pamon filII-i.ng the po8ltion of 8olW part 

or the ilOV%lw power or runda0n8 of govemna4nttD be 

axeralmd b 

In% 

tar the benefit of the publio, and 8 tenure or cant uoun cmrvlacs rather 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. see aho our opinion BO. 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 .judgea me 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 officer under the law. 

Epon theee conelderations, we rs8ppectfully advise 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 perfomed 
by h&iI ti 8UOil Cap8Clty. frO8I Whbh it fO11W8 that 

both of your q.zestiona shoul.d be 8nsmred in the 

ne;:ative; 

BY da Oale Sp8er 

Oole Spew 

A88lstant