I&nasab& lppold Htelan 

County Attaney 

I!oekloy County 

Lwanand, Texas 

Dmu air. ?hel8nI 

Opinion Ho. M- 761 

Re: whether #drool trustou 

may l~WfUll)l votr cm 

hiring or firing tuchmr8 

in an eamcutivo nm8ion 

undu pzwkianm OS 

ArtioN ezs247, vrnoll'o 

civil statut88. 

You h8V@ 8dViwd u* the on M8tah 5, 11970, tba ouadawn Indepmndmnt 8ob001 Di@t*iat held II n@otiag of t& 8-l 

truotm.9, and that foLlowing tbo ragukr mating, WhiaL UM 

opan to tt+ publia, tba truatwa met k aa %a8artive m.o8ia1,- 

uhiah wu domed to the mblio. 
Section 2(a) of Article 6252-17 prwidos certain 

l xceptionm to the application of the Act in the following 

language I 

"foe. 2. (a) Tha prwiaiona of thie Act do 

not apply to that portion of a meating or seasloo 

of a gwernmsntal body while the gwernrrwantal body 

is actually ongaged inr 

(1) doliborationa to conmidor tha appointsant, 

aaploymnt, or dismissal of a public officer oa 

rgloyoo or to hear complaint6 or chargu brought 

8q8inmt such offiaer or employoa, v 

(2) dolibor8tion~ pertaining to th8 acqui8ition of 8dditioru1 rul prop8rtyr or 

(3) dOlihrr8tiOn8 on IYttWa l ffOCting WCBXity.’ 

(Bm#8rim 8ddsd.) 

Cle8rly the Legi8lature had 8 plrpo80,in providing 

thaw exwptions. We think that purpo8e was to p&mit 8 gwernunt81 body to conduct to ita logic81 conclumion, aut of the 

public vial, the type of businams coming undu the l xoeptions. 

The tirm *deliberationa," am umed in the open nwutinp rtatuta, 

in connection with the term "meeting" wy k con8tru.d to 

moan both dolibaration 8nd voting action -8rn dual coxponont# 

of tha collective docimion-making procew.” 

k@-=MLUhi&d V. -CL;)YLPfo CO. Rd. Of 6 &,f&iyF%l . 

Reptr. 480, 465 (Cal. Ct. of App. 1968). 

In thin connection note the follwing rtatoment in 

53 Toxar Jurirprudence 26, St&tuteB, Saction 126, paga 187: 

"An important rule to be observed in 8tatw 

tory intorpratation ia that an act should bo giv8n 

l fair, ration81, reasonable, and seneibl;* conl tructfon, conridsring its lsnguage and eubject 

m8tter, and with a view to accompliehing the 18gialative intent and purpose.” 

-3720.. 
Bonorebia E&&.9 !??%Ja;:,, page 3 (M-761) 

Ue think it would ti unreaaon8ble to allow a bw 

to daliberata on a matter involving security in 8 closed meeting, 

8nd then require that it be brought out to an open meting lrnd 

voted on. All mea&lance of security would ba dutroyd. In 

the saae renrm, it would ha pointless to permit 8 bo8rd to 

conaidez tha acquisition of reB1 property in a closed ameting, 

and then rsquire that it be brought before an open meting Fa 

a vote. The confidential elmnt a0 often iMenti81 in this 

type of tr8ns8ctiaa 8nd kept fran the publia would ceaee to exiet. 

.' 

We think it jurt 8# unlikely th8t.the &@@;28tUr8 

intended to permit 8 baud to deliberate on the cOntr8af of 8 

public officu M employee in clued muion, uhm $9~ perraa 

8ffaCtbd h8p not requested 8 pubZic hearing, end thsn nqui8-e 

that the be&d VOW in 8 public metAq.. ff th8 prbli8 U'CO,, 

be.deprived of the confidential informtioq upon vhieh the 

gWU-t8l OffiCerB V&O, th8y 8Z@ in ll0 -itim t0 e.8 

judgment of the wirdom of the vote by the OffiberS. Camepuently, m must aonatrue the l t8tute in 8 m88an8b&o 8nd 

pr8Utiolrf a18nna 8nd h8ve concluded th8t the L8gi8%8tur@ intondod th8t the three exceptiona provided in Seotia, z(8) wul, 

to be bud, voted upon, and concluded lb the al- Oa88iOn, 

prwided th8t is the will of the gwernment81 bady. 

If, howove, 8 tS8chmr WhOSO COM?8Ct MS t0 k 8&d 

upon 8t the meting did request a public hewing, then to tb8 

extent th8t th8t teacher ‘8 COptr8Ct W8B dekiba8#d UpUIt Q(r 

voted upar in an executive mesolon the exception provided Ln 

boction l(r) warn inoprative 8nd such disau8SiOKa or vote WOklid’ 

have to be in 8n open mooting and t&U8 f8fhrO to do 80 would 

be in violatiaa of hrtialo 625247. 

A b Oud o f l ahool trUBtm.8 ~18y dOLim8t8 

in a closed l aaaion on whether to offor a oants8at 

to 8 te8chu 8nd m8y al80 vote on tin mat* in 

aloeed l 08BioSI, p0!Wid@d the meher OonWEMd h8 

not reguuted a publia hO8ring. Article 625247, 

V.C.I., deem net toquire that the vote he taken 

.in 8 public meting undar 8uah airaumt8aeU. 

-3721- 
A Ward of school truuteer fnay not deliber8te 

upon im vote upon the queatiom of offering 8 

tuahu a contx8ct while in a clomd 888818n if 

tb8t tM&kX hM rOf&U8tOd 8 pblic hUrily. 

mp8ro8byJ8mw8.Sw8uinq8n 

Amriatant Attuney @ener81 

r 

IkzM P8y10rr Chai-n 

W. 8. Allen, Co-Chalmarn 

J8ok 8wkB 

Kenneth Uardquirt 

laott 08rricon 

nut 88mi1tal a.. 

mm8 1. OIIIFFsn 

8t8ft -1 h88irt8nt 

ALFRm#UIIUGR 

Executive Aarimtant 

XOLA wlsrT8 

Firat Assist8nt