OFFICE OF THE AITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

1 be Usble.for oie halithe aourt when thi.deSen-1 

and lays his fine~out ifi . . 

if&on apply to the 

the psaae wl@ah erq . 

a 1058 ‘or 5ald cotte,~ or is the ,: 

e f uli amount OS snah t em. bven 

his fine and lkys,hla 

mBrief on 3eoond Queetlonr I 

"&&are no oases Upoz this point, and it is' 

entirely 8 matter of reaaoning~froxr. the atetutee.: 

2haever, it in mg o_ol.nion that the aounty is ,ltible 

I 

1 

. 

b 

.: 

. 
'So ~axprerra authority tar suoh an allmwmoe appears ln the atatutar. Eowbver, drtials 2261 ohargon 

oodBsfoner8 with laylw out, rstablirhlng, oha~&ing 

and diecontinuing publia roads and highways, with 

buildif@,bridg44 and koepin& t&m in r4p4ir', aad with 

exeralsfng gsnaral crontrol ovsr ,131 roed4, hi$hwara, 

f4rri44 %ad bridges fa taefr oowsti4s. It appears 

that the commi44lon4r4 should bs reimbursed tor ex- 

~~#JeB ~sCuTI'4d in the tJXOr@iB4 ot euoh duties, a@ 

that there *itadd be an implied aushqrity ?or an Qllovan84 euoh 48 the on4 in'qusstion. 

"Z'ourth qUSB$iOIl: 

“DOt3B the &mJtIi!N4iOn~r6 * Court hOv4 the authority 

to employ 4tenographioe~ help rea8ouubly nooessary in 

sh4 diroharg6 of It4 duties, md peiy fir same cut of 

the fUndB Oft tact O$?+ty? 

c. - 

361 

Tfiem~b a.. Blantooi Jr., page 8 

ror the full umouub of the t444 grorided ror in 

Artiale lOl% when the defsndaat lay4 hi4 tin4 out, 

bsowtne th~4 firat~esnt4n44 of Art&ale 10% 44e~ 

t4 shim that that ertiof.e ooald not apply to the 

fee6 provtd4d for in Artiol4 LO58 tithaut nullifying 

the tarmu of Artiole 1068 in 08444 vh4z4 the.defmbant 

pay8 his ?iue. It deema t,hst the t44s intendsd to be 

l ffeat4d by Art1010 1055 as?4 on.lg tho4e fbr vhirh the 

dofemtaat In a alimlnal a&ion 14 liable, slid that 

this artlolo I8 not intended to affeat Co48 vLlal=ars 

the primary obligation of the aounty. 

?Doe.s the C~~~~f#~louor’(~~ Couch oi 8haokelford 

County hats the authorlliy k, allor, l a o h oommlorioxmr 

a aonthly.allowan0e af &%I.54 for 4atcmyblle l xpsJi44* 

haurrad in ~uparvtslng eoy.aty ~made, aalb oounty 

haiing a populatlrm of .b,Zll, and 4~ aa8essed raloatlon of about ‘~7,000,000, 4nd s6Jb ooami~~lanors 

r444ltin5 a regular eilary of Ql;4GQ p4r annti for 

th4ir ebrriaen as OoIrimimi-Cmsr? 

*%rhf on Third Qmstionr 
r -. 

262 

Bon. Thomaa L. Blantoa, Jr., peg4 S 

*In ahaptsr g of title 44, the &mmIsnloners* 

G,ourt Ia &Yen a numb4r of duties MxIohtcday maa,aaarIly ,Invulve a larg4 amount ~of stenographical 

work. xhe statute doea not exprsealy airo the ConmIaaioxmra* Court the authority to 4mpioy a .sten+ 

&mpher to 60,thiB work. JJow4v4r, BIa4B steao@YIphIosl help Is .reasonably neoeaaary to carry out tie 

4xpreaa prOti$ioru of the atatut4, it smear8 tlist 

the Ooinmisrrloneraf Court would have an Impll4d 

authority to employ auoh a BtsnogrBph4r, and to pay 

her out of.th4 oounty fuhda.4 

This fiopartmut has repeatedly rulwl that Justio4s oi the 

P4a44 and County Judges In tse oouhtisa l ra entitled to tL4.r 

full fses from the uouhty uhdsr Artiol4 lOS%, 0. C. i., for 

eaoh oLrImIaal aotion tried aud finally dlapoeed of by tima, 

regardl4aa or the method of aatlafaotfon of the fine and uosts. 

Pi4 sn4iose h4rsvIth a copy OS opinion No. O-610 of thi8 ikp8rta14nt ror your Iniormatlon. 

It Is our opinion that you have corrsotly ansrered tb4 

B4OOnd quemtion. 

ii;s ussume that your county operates under the .reaersl 

road law and vb bass our amv4r to your third cpestion upon 

that assumptlou. 

g!his 24prJrtnient has rep4atsdly rule& that in countIss 

cperetiing under the general road law .that the uombmloners* 

court has no authority to allow, eaoh ooumiaaIonor 4 aonthly 

allovanoe for automobile sxpon~ea inaurred in supenlsiug 

oounty roads. For your Information w4 enclose herawith coplsr 

of op&nione 30s. O-3119 and 0-75E of this Department. 

Your third question Ia, therefor4, answered in the 

nsgtlive. 

Xt is fundarmntal law that tbe conmIaaIoners' court 28s 

only suoh authority 88 Is conferred upon It by the Cxx8titutiM 

and 8r;atutse of thie State, eIth+r ep4cifIcally or by scces~ary 

Impliuation. 'F-I@ have been unable to find any express or 

inpliod authority which vrould authorize the comIssiomrB* 

aourt of your oouaty tc employ a stenographer. 
363 

HOP. Thoavls L. BluIton, fr., pge 4 

To,ur r0urth qoeatlon fs, thersfors, anspered In the 

negatitcr. 

Very tna1y yours 

FIRST AzSIS?AXT 

BY 

‘C ATTORNEY GENEFiAL