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 adearn and retain. The Justloe 

t Ho. 1 is being allowed In 

earned and retained 811 eX-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 

oounty 
Honorable 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-c fflor o lo 

salary to l upplmsmt isme earned 

and retalnod by a Juatlar oi the 

Poaoo in Hill Coontfl 

Can the Comnieeionere Court legally 

allow an l r-otfiolo or MlaFy to 

eupplment raee rarnod and retained 

by a Constable in Kku COPnty? 

Can the 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?” 

On several oooaefone this department ha8 hod under 

consideration questions ldentloal wfth the firetWo pU88tiOnS 

presented u your inquiry. In Conierenoe Opinion 100. glad, Blennial Heports or the attorney General of Texas, 1918-1920, pago 

370, this dopartment hold, among other 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 may allow thare ex-offloio oompeneation when suoh officer8 

render to the County 0x-0fri0i0 ewvloes. 

On November 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. 

We arm enoloelng ooples of ths ee two 
t 

Honorable T. II. iuilkineon, p-ge 3 

in Op~ione No. o-138, 0410 and 043008, this depart.rPsnt held that a CommieSlonere* Court IMJ, in it8 dleoretfon, 

allow a ex-ot?loIo oompeneatlon to oonetables who do not rooelre the maximum tees o? offloe allowed by law, provided that 

tb proviSions of Artlola 3095, Vernon18 Annotated Olrll Statutes, 

are oomplled with. 

In an8wer to your tlret two Queetlona, you are 

reepoottolly advised that it 18 the opinion ot this dqartnumt 

that the CoeueleelonerJ* Cast ot shill County oan legally allow 

l r-ot?iolo ooaponeatlon to juetiooe ot the peaoe and ooaJtriblee 

in said qiouaty where, Juoh prWinet oitlomre are oompeneated on 

a to0 baJiJ, provided l uoh preolnot otrloiale do not reoalte 

the maxiplum tees o? ottioe as allowed br the applloablo rtatutr, 

and, turther provided that the prorieionr ot Artiolr s893, 8upra, 

are oonplled with. Whether the Ooaalerfonere~ Court SllGW8 

0x-0rri0i0 oomp4asatlon to juetloer 0r the peaor and oanrtablee 

of Hill County, who an oonpeneated on a tee basis, lr solely 

within tb, dleoratlon of the OoimrlJelonere~ Court. Stated 

another way, it fr our opinion that tha OoamlJeloners~ Court 

ot Hll.l~County 1s legal17 authorired 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, lt should 

br borne ld mind when tha 'CommlesloaerJ1 Court allcwr er-offiolo 

aompeaeatloa under Artlole 3893, eupra, euoh oOmpsn8at~on wbn 

odd4 tz the undisputed tees allowed and retained u&or Artlole 

3883, oannot exoeed the marimum axpreased in Artiala 3891, Veraoa’e Annotated Civil Statutes, 

In view Of What h&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