OFFICE OF THE All-ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

Eoaorable **T.** K. iirilkinson County Auditor; Ml1 County xillsboro~, Texas -
Dear dlrr

**Pour letter**  **of** opinion of this depcirtrcent o part, aa ro~lowe: 944, requesting, the eta ted reada, in

are on a Salary basis of the Peace me on a sreral mare the Conetables or salary eeoh month in ad**earn** and retain. The Justloe t Ho. 1 is being allowed In earned and retained 811eX-OfliOiO exceed $40.00 per rmnth, that ie am fees in the aixiunt Of $100~00 county pays the difterenoo 80 lone a8 d does not exoeed $40.00 per month - exainplee a8 foll0wa: “Ye08 for month - $30.oo ~3ix-of’flolo paid by tha Cowty

‘hea far month -Tpj-

. “LX-oSSiolo paid by 

## oountyHonorable T. K. Wllklneon, P~~U5e 8 .~ 

## 4i6

*The Conoteblee are peld a oartain sun each month regardless of the amont of ices they earn and retaln; %ow, questlone ass as r0uowst

*1.

‘8.

‘5. Can the Cotrmleelonarr Court legally allow an 

### l

x-cfflolo

or salary to 

### l

upplmsmt isme earned and retalnod by 

### aJuatlar oi the Poaoo in Hill Coontfl Canthe Comnieeionere Court legally allow an 

### l

r-otfiolo or MlaFy to eupplment raee rarnod and retained by a Constable in Kku COPnty?

Canthe Oounty kudltor approve 8x0trioio or ealarler to 

### l uppleneot fees that are earned and retained bt Uouetablee aed Just1088 of the Pea00 in Hill county?”

Onseveral oooaefone this department ha8 hod under consideration questions ldentloal wfth the firetWo pU88tiOnS presented u your inquiry. In Conierenoe Opinion 100. glad, Blennial Heports 

## orthe attorney General of Texas, 1918-1920, pago 370, this dopartment hold, amongother 

## thlnge,that juetloea of the peaoe and aonetablee are aounty otfioiale within ths meaning ot mtlole 3893 (nor ,irtlolr 38951 and, as suoh, the Commieeionere* Courts mayallow thareex-offloio oompeneation when suoh officer8 **render** to the County 0x-0fri0i0 ewvloes.

OnNovember 9, lW6, Xonorablo Ii. Gsady Chandler, Assistant AttOrney General, rendered an opinion holding that justices or the peace say be paid 8x-off1010 oompansation.

In Opinions No. O-185 end O-5470, this departmnt hold that tha Commieeionere~ Court of Peooe County end the CommleelOnere* court of Midland County could by complying with the pro- ~ieione of krtlole 3895, Vernon’s Annotated Civil Statutes, allow ~+offlolo oompeneatlon to juetloee of the pea00 ior sx-ofilolo *erVloee rendered by them. oPhion8 herewith. Wearmenoloelng ooples of ths ee twot Honorable T. II. iuilkineon, p-ge 3

in Op~ione No. o-138, 0410 and 043008, this depart.rPsnt held thata CommieSlonere* Court IMJ, in it8dleoretfon, allow a ex-ot?loIo oompeneatlon to oonetableswho do not rooelre themaximum tees o? offloe allowed by law, provided that tb proviSions of Artlola 3095, Vernon18 Annotated Olrll Statutes, are oomplledwith.

In an8wer to your tlret two Queetlona,you are reepoottolly advised that it 18the opinion ot this dqartnumt that the CoeueleelonerJ* Cast 

## otshillCounty oan legallyallow l r-ot?iolo ooaponeatlon to juetiooe ot the peaoe and ooaJtriblee in said qiouatywhere,Juoh prWinet oitlomre are oompeneated on a to0 baJiJ, provided l uohpreolnot otrloiale donot reoalte the maxiplumtees o? ottioe as allowed br the applloablo rtatutr, and, turther provided that the prorieionr ot Artiolr s893, 8upra, are oonplledwith. Whetherthe Ooaalerfonere~ Court SllGW8 0x-0rri0i0 oomp4asatlon to juetloer 0r the peaor and oanrtablee of Hill County, whoan oonpeneated on a tee basis, lr solely within tb, dleoratlon

## ofthe OoimrlJelonere~ Court. Stated another way, it fr our opinion that tha OoamlJeloners~ Court ot Hll.l~County

1s legal17authorired to allow l x-ottlolo oompensation to justice8 o? tha paaoe and aolutablre of said oounty who are oompeneated on 

### a ire barie,who X'ander ex-ottlolo maa8 $O:thbiCOU&~ rhon euoh Of?lOlalS **do** not reoelvo the maximum her OS 

### ottl~ allowed **by** law.

In eonneotlon,wlth thr foregoing statement, ltshould br borne ldmind when **tha** 'CommlesloaerJ1Courtallcwr er-offiolo aompeaeatloa under Artlole 3893, eupra, euoh oOmpsn8at~onwbn odd4 tz the undisputed tees allowed and retained u&or Artlole 3883, oannot exoeed themarimum axpreased inArtiala 3891, Veraoa’e Annotated Civil Statutes,

In view Of Whath&8 heretofore been JJld in anJwer t0 your tlr8t tW0 QUeStlOn8, it n~OeSSt%rllp?ollowi that 7our third question **awt be**  anewered ln the a?tirmatlva,and it l8 00 entered.

rouse tort truly