‘OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Honorable 8. A. Bodipr 

Qouaty maitor 

wllllam8oa County 

Coorgetorm, Toxar 

Dear Slrr 

tr of that boar, or 

to tot. to break a 

-4. I? eaoh County Commlrrlonrr is nqalml 

to rote on matters eotalag before the Ooart wlmt ls 
Honorable 8. A. Badges, Page 8 

the penalty for f8illag or rdwing, to rote?. 

Artirlo 2S4t, Toraon*r Annotated Cid.l Sktater, 

naaa a8 rouowm 

Yho rereral mmal88loaer8, tog&her with 

the warty la&e, 8bll wapoar the rComlosfonrrs 

Court’ aad the oountr Judg8, when prmmt, 8lmll 

be th0 pnrldia8 0rrf08r of 8da eoVt.* 

Ne qaote iron Texao forlapntdenor, Yolaae IT, pago 

8S9 aad SbO us iollant 

*Any thrw mnbers or tha Comiwfonerr Uoart, 

iaelnding the ooonty j&go, wrutitute a qoorua ror 

the tnmraotloh of a a r b a a ~no r s l xmpt that of 1-p 

lag a 00$&y tar. That I8 ta ray, a uortm for the 

traa8aotfon or bo8Lnssr 18 oonrtitut 08 by any three 

wzml8rlooer8 or br the ooeaty Jo&go aad any two 

oonael8efonsr8. . . It ia not nooersar~ that thr 

oounty fadgo bq prr seal : 8d prorfdlang la order that 

the C8wdrrioam Cart mar tranoaot it8 bunlnsr~; 

the rtatuter merely reqairo that.thr wmty fndgo 

prwiae whoa ho 18 pre8aat. . .* Arti W43, 

Vernon’s Amotatul Oltil Statuter) Dalton T. Allen, 

am 9. 1. 4s9. 

seotioa 18 o? Article s 0r the Toxa8 Coa8titutioa 

reach, in pa-t, a8 r0mnm 

I . Eaoh oounty .&all ia llka wsuaor bo didad i& o fo ur oomaiwioaers prwfaetr ,- in l aoh or 

whloh thee mhall be elwted b? t&e qua.lSiied rotora 

therwf one eorurty oomd8810aeTr who &all hold hi8 

0rrf00 ror twv year8 ant11 hi8 l uoow8or rh8U br 

elooted and qualitltir The wwltr 8olsAfr8ion*rr 80 

ehoaen, wfth the ooantf Jadge, as prwfding oftfoor, 

8hall wqwe thm eoanty eermai88loner8 oewt, rhieh 

#hall l rwolse mob powg8 aad Jorlrdiotioa mar all 

ooimtf bruinoar a8 i8 ooafornd in this Conrtltatioa 

and th* laws ot the Stato, or a8 may bo hereafter 

preseribe4.n 

Silth retrronoe te par tfrrt question, your attention in re8peotfull~ dlrwted to our OpXnSoa Ho. 0-lTl6, 
Eo2craI2lc 2. A. :iocgs, Pi!Je 3 

which >OldS that: 

The aounty jUdC% enjoys equal voting ri@tS 

Flits all 0: t58 othes %e&Srs of th8 OCiXIiSS%OnOl%. 

oourt wbloh ~111 include tie ri$it to zrake or aoe0nC onT ;?otion 3Ed the right to rots whether there 

be a tie aLzo&; the votes of othor members oi the 

court or not.- 

tFe are oroloelng a oopy nf the above mntfortet~@in103 ior your inrori23tion and 00nmzile~oe. You will note, am 

above stated, that the oounty judge has the slat to rot8 on 

nll ratters brou&t beiore the oo.~lsaionors~ court regnfricg 

a VGtQ oi tSnt b.ody, ah:ch iaoludes the rf;ht to xka or seecd qny xotion and the +ht to vote whether there ha 3 tic 

nnon~ the votes of the other ze&ers of t!xe oourt or zmt. 

The ri@t of thu oounty judge to vote on sll zatters brought 

befcre the oozalsslor~ers* aourt is not rsstrieted to in3tences to vihcrre tk3re is 3 tie vote. 

In ro>lj= to your seaond~.question, It 63pars tros 

all tkza sathorltlos Cat 1713 hare exmined, c03stitutionsl, 

atctutor;, or Judioial interpretstions, the county judge 15 

cot requfrsd or o&gelled to vote upon any mtter brou&t befori? t2-e o+x?isi~Sionars~ cou&, but As the rl!+t to vote or 

reiraln iron voting as he -33~ detornlne, 

In ansmr to yc?;r third rjuostton as.above etated, 

aay t'hree zezxbers oi t:e mmlssloners* court, ineluding the 

county jUiiC.3 *3ocstltute a p3rum for thk transaetfon or any 

buc,iCe-.ss except that of le~yk~x a county tax. Therefore, 

wtmt !ms been said ~:ith refersnoo to requiring: or cozpUin~ 

a cowitp jud;:e to vote on arty mttor before the oozzaissioneru* 

oourt is e-usll; a~g~lieob~a to any cozsui8s1oner, and esch ocmti.ssioxer a%~ YGto or refuse to vote on any c_uost.iGn as he 

s?.all Caternine. 

In recly to yo:r fourth qusstfon, you am advised 

t&t a oo~~issiomr is not required or cozpelled to vote Oil 

any xattzr ocr,i~~,z befcre the oo*xrt, aad thet a reiusal to 

-rota 03 sn: ouob xatter dG8.5 riot constAtute a 2em.l Offen 

or acy aature. 
Bonorabie Ii. A. IIodg88, P8gO 4 

Ardell lllll8n8 

&8)8tUlt