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<p>OFFICE OF 
</p>
<p>THE ATTOHEEY GENERAL </p>
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<div class="ocr">Hou. Temple Thell, Page 2

of the Tax Assessor~-Collector of this County,
whieh he eleims due him for the month of Jum,
1941, alee the enount of $52,608 which be
aleims is dua hin for Mey salerg due to the
ssege of He By Mo. 759, by the a7th legis~
ture, regular session, sane effestive May 5,

*

"From an examination of the resorda of
this County T find thet on January 1, 1936
the seleary of the Tax Assecsor-Coilecter of
this County was set, vy the Commissioners Court,
at $4,750,390 per year, same in compliance sith
S, Be Wo. $, peseed vy the 44th Leginiatere,
second sellad seasion, same fixiag salaries
ef County officsrs. Sia hes been reposted
every year since 1936, and oa the first of
this year the Cosmissionsrs Court set the salary
of the TaxAcsesecar-Collestar of this eounty
along with ether County Officiele at 44,750.00
for the year 194i.

“Y fini thet the Tex Assessor-Coliectar
bes two different selaries, one set by the Cam
missioners Ceurt, scting in aceordanss with a
General Law, 5. &, Yo. $, bith Legislature,
and another seiery a6 a06 Gut in She first
paregraph ia this lotter,.

*Tlesne advise this department the srount
of salary the Tax Asaessor-Collestar of this
County is legally entitled to for the year
1941 in order thet we coy maxe the correct
payments to hin,*

mit Fee
POU ubssa (JF

reads es folicwst

= "am Aet fixing the soupensation of Tax
Aagngasor-Colleata@ in all counties have
ing @ population of nore than seventy
thousant (70 2090) afd not nore than
eighty thousend (80,900) sesordiag to
the lest precediag Federal Census, oF
eny future Federal Census, and with sa

acaeasned valuation of rove than Forty

ete of thse 47th Lest

ae

mialtsg cid Letay or goede. ef tain Ta
RE or a a
conf list herevd th; i deslaring an

GET ECRCY »
Be It Enacted by the legisilatare of the State of Texas!
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<div class="page"><p></p>
<p>. </p>
<p></p>
<div class="ocr">Eon, Temple “hell, “age 3 r

701000} end not more than eighty thousand
80,000) secording to the last presedinag Fed-
eral Consus, or any future Federal Census, end
with an assessed valuation of sot less than
Forty Million Dellsrs ,000,000), the Tax
Asseasor-Collestar receive a selery of
Fifty-five Runired Dellars (#5500), payable is
oq monthly peynents,

“See. 2, It le hereby deelered to be the
intention of the latere that the provi-
sions of this Ast 11 sentrol in ell things
eas te the eounties effected herehy, anti any
eat all laws in sonfliet herewithere hereby
repealed te the extent end only te the extent
of sush cent lict.

"See, 3. The fuet thet the Tax Assessor-
Collecters eounties of mare then seventy
thousand 70.008 enh not sere then eighty
thousanf (80,000) tien and with en essess~=
ef Vveluation of esa than forty  illioca
Deol rs ,000,000) ere sew be pele
seleries not semmensurate with their services
and duties and res ipblisies and the fact
of the crowded e.ndition ef the salendar
create an emergency and an inperstive publis
necessity that the SCunstitutional Rule ree
qu that 811 Bilis be read ca three
several days in each House be eni the cane
is hereby suspended, and this Act shall take
effeet and te in force from and after its
passage, and it is se enected,“

We agree with your conclusion that House Bill 759,
supre, ie uncomstitational, ‘This rtment has written
many opiniens holding tet similar bills, which seek to
fix the sa es of county officers in a pertisular county,
are in violetion of Seetion 56, of Artiele 3 of the State
Coastitation, whieh provides in pert:

"The Legislature shall act, exeept as
otherwise provided in this Constitution
pees aay leesl or special law, euthorising:

* 6 6
"Regulating the affairs of ceunties
cities, {oane, werda or seheol alatricts}

"And in all other eases where a generel
isw etn be nade & eable, ac level oF
special iaw shell enacted; . « «*
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<p>. . </p>
<p></p>
<div class="ocr">Hen, Temple Schell, Page 4

After earefully considering House B11 759, supra,
in eonnestion with Section $6, Article 3 ef the Texas Con-
stitution, Bexer County v, Tynan, ot al, 44 S, %. (24) 467,
ant WWller v, EL Peso County, 156%. ¥. (28) 1000, and the
authorities sited therein, we sre of the opinion that said
House Bill 759, supra, ia a local or spesial lew attempting
to fix the salery of the County Tax Assessar-Colleatar ef
Wiehite County, and therefore unconstitutional ani void,

Aceording to the 1930 Federal Consus, Widhite
County hed e tion ef 74,416 imbabitents, and sceard-
ing te the 1940 Peceral Census, said eounty hes @ population
of 73,437 inhebiteuts, Aecording to both of the Federal
Censuses sbove mentioned, Wiehita County is the only sounty
dn the State within the population bracket desig-
mited ia House Mll 759, supra.

With referense to the ancunt of selery the Tax
Aasesace-Collecter of Wiehita County la entitled te for
the year 13a we direct your a on to Articles 3483

3891, and Section 13 of Artisle J9lze, Vernan's Annote ted
Civil stavates. Seetion 13 of Artiole 39126, supra, provides
pert:

"The Commissioners’ Court ia sounties
having rl Jetion of twenty thousand (20,000)
inhabitants or more, end 1058 thea one hundred
and ninety thousent (190,000) inhabitants ace
cording to the last preceding Federal Census,
ie hereby authorized and it shell be its duty
to fix the ealaries of ali the follewing nanzed
officers, to-wit: . . . assessor and collesc=-
tor of taxes , . »« tach of sald officers
shell de paid im money en anmuel Selary in
twelve (12) equal installments of not leas
then the total sum esrned es sompensation by
hin in his official capacity fer the fiseal
yeer 193§, and sot more then the maxinus
mount ai lowed euch officer under laws existe
ing on Angust 24, 19353 « » o”

Under the provisions of the statutes mentioned
above, the maximum aelary ef the Tex Ascessar-Collector of
Wient ts County eannet ezeeed the sum of $4,750.00 yeer,
It ia shown in the letter of the Auditor, quoted abeve, thet
the Com seiomers' Court fixed the selary of the Tsx
Assessor-Collector of seid sounty a) with other sounty
officials at 730,00 for the year 1941. Therefore, it
js eur epinioa faas the selery of said Tax Assessor—Collector

*

for the year ight is $4,750.
Trust that {he foregoing fully answers your inquiry,we a

Yours ver fraly
OVED JULY 16, 1942 ATPORAKY AL TEXAS
Grever Sellers
SY ASEISTaAwT AYTORMRY GEMERAL Ry /a/ avdell

wiliiems
APPROVED CPINION COME TYEE , DWE, Chairmen Assistant AW:00: 4x
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