R-75 

PRICE DANIEL 

ATIOHNEY GEXERAL 

Hon. Il. L Elneoa, Jr. 

aptaJ lrrditor 

mlk coutq 

Llrlng8ton, Terra 

bear Sirt 

opinion MO. 7- 26 
Boa. 6. L. Hm3on, Jr. - page 2 

‘Osn the Ucmtmls8lomr8 Court approve peyrolls aad 

paymoat of purehaw orders and trensnot business with 

the Ooamlsslo~r of Prealaot MO. 1 abmnt from the statst 

'Can he rppolnt a forenn to rot OS his superrisor 

of rord B8lQteMfiae rnd owstruatlon for him mad the 

ooml88lomr oontlttm his work ia Misslsslppltm 

Ths Wmsry QuemUoa pamated by lyour iaqulry Is mhsthsr or 

pot, wder ths mate submitted, ths psawoa in gwstlon hss nested or 

8bondoned his oSf1ee OS Qaunty O~ssloaar. 

In Uords aad Mee*, Vol. S7, peps 2l6-270, uo find the 

~ouowing &floltlon8t 

.~,-A-- . . . 4, I. d . . -2. 

wRe81dewe 18 indeed mde up of hat mad lntbtttiort~ 

that ie, of abods rith latoat1oa af lw*irrtrrg. aut3t ir 

not brokeab7gofagto seekraotherabods, but ooatWse8 

uatll the faot mad lakatiea aaite :a aaother abode elssrhere.w 37 Ii. & P. p56. 

YOU etnte io p&w letter that his iraily 'stlm lima +a 

Polk Oouat.J.B theseSore, 18 eaaaot bs stated as 8 rttor OS la+ that 

the person la qaeetioa romow 

thsreb7 runted his offloe. 

d. his met&mea Srom Polk Ooutif "? ~ 

.!Xt 18 a mwrr3. rule thnt ‘f8llare to qlvXiQ for 8a 

otfloe rithla tb the preserlkd br 28~ does not of ltwlf 

o r ea t* l msaas7.w mamma ~s.amhm, 81 8.~. x237, W. 8ee l l8o~Temssavlspsdease f76. 

Us qttate tbs follmllrg imm 54 Texas Jwlsprndease 375t 

%ha Oowtltutloo kelmws t&t l fallare to aomply 

rlth the nquinwnt thnt all sit11 oifloerr shall nslds 

rlthin the State, rad all diltrlot or emat olfloers 

rithin tbsLr dl8trlots or aollntlas, an4 Qll keep t&eir 

o ffia es l t suah pkees es ry be nQulred by low -11 

raoste the oftlee so hold. This prorlslon Is mif-amcuti~ 
Hon. E. L. Hlnson, Jr, - page 3 

and needs no &@3btiQS action to put It ilIt force 

aa8 effect. Under it a county officer who rebmoves from 

the ,county sad establishes a residence elsewhere thereby 

vacatea his office, But absence from the State or inability or ut~llliagness to perform the duties of the 

off ice * or the mere absence of a county officer from 

the county while lnvoluutarily In the lailitarg service 

of the United St&em, without any shouiug QS to the prob&h duration of his abnme, does not create a vacancy.” 

See rlsot Cmvford ~8. S~unQers, 25 9. W, 102; Bamllton vs. King, 206 

9. w. 953. 

From 8 stud7 of the above cited authorit:es, it meems to be 

settled In Texas that a vacanc7 Is not areated bg an offiaer’a absence 

from the State or his lnablllt7 or unwllllngness to psrfon! the duties 

Of hi8 OffiC8. In order to constitute an abendoment, there must be an 

aatual or Imputed luteat on tho part of ths officer to relinquish the 

off ice. 9tslngruber vs. City of Ssu Antonio (005. hpp.) 220 S. W. 77; 

Horny vs. Qrahara, 39 Tex. 1; 34 Ter. Jur. 385. 

Uuder the facts prsssnted, the person in question has been 

and is working In HlesIssippl, but at the same time ha returns at intervals to meet with the Commlssioners~ Court. Such facts do not show an 

lntentlon to abandon the offloo. Therefore, It asnnet be stated as 

a matter of law. that he has vacated or abandoned the office of County 

Comslsslonmr . 

It lo etated la 34 Ter. Jur. 511-513 1 

?l!he ampnaatlori sttsohod to aa office belwa to the 

persoa legally holding the offioe, for the tern ha may 

hold it. His rl.ght to It attmhes as soon am hb takes the , 

a8th of office 6ud quallfles aoaordlllg to law, and ends 1 

wheu his term ends, whether by expiration of $lme, death, 

mslgrmt Ion, or l bollshaout of the offloq bf law. . . 

“To entitle a person to redover the emoluments of an 

off lae, he must show that he Is an officer de jure, that 

the office has been Isg~lly arsated aud Is In existence, 

and that he has been legally plaaed thereid and has a 

legal right thereto. . . 

‘The eslsr7 or emolumsats are Inaldent to the title of 

the off fae and not to it a ocauzxt Ion or the Derformance 

of offiairl duties. In order to recowr the-amount. the 

offlaer Is not required to show that h ha di 

the dutIee of the off Ice) nor 1s he prkded 

schsr@d 

f rom my 

covering by the fact that he has been wrongfully deprived 
Hon. E. L. IilUBOcl, Jr. - 'page 4 

of the right to perform the oervicea, UP chat e.nother 

persm has performed then." (Eiapbzsis aurs) 

We quote the followin& from Beard vs. City or D~CXIELW, 64 

Tex. 7: 

“To the person legally holdlne the offloe belong 

the perquisltas and emollmaents attached by law to the 

offlee, as fully 85 doe9 the office Itself. . . 

0 the mfiry or emolument annexed to a public 

off lce'l; keideat to the title of the off Ice and not 

lo its 0aauEWtioP or exercim3. The people t 

‘bulton, 2U Cal 44~ Fhe PeopZe, etc. 

21; Mayor etc.’ 

va. iial*fit &al. 

vs. Woodward, 12 Heisk, 499; ‘&oll va. 

Seibenthabr, 37 Cal. 195; Dolsa h-8. Mayor etc., 68 pI.Y. 

275; Hoveany vs. zhe myor, 80 B. Y. 192; the Auditors. 

eta. vm. Benolt, 20 Xlch. l91'. (Rnpheals oure.) 

Ye quote tb8 follouiag from City of Xouaton vu. X&em, 79 5.1 

848, error refuaedr 

'CThat under them facts he beoame an offlat@ de jura 

la mustained by the vblght of authority. . . lie was thereafter discharged vlthout ofause by one having PO authority 

to oust him. . . The effort to oust him was a nullity, and, 

his salary being an incident of the office his right to the 

emolumentts did not detmnd on the perforamncc by him of 

offlcl.81 service. ” ~.Emphesls ours) 

32nae the person in qlieeat ion is aov legally holding the offlc 

of Commissioner, on the baeie of the foregoing authorities Ye are farad 

to hold that he Is entitled to the emolument8 incident to the offlmi 

until hia term ends; vhether by expiration of tlm, death, reslgnrtlou 

or rsmotal from office, and yvu are authorized to approve the plymeat ( 

UW. i 

I 

Section 24 of &tlcPle IT of our State Countitutiou provides: 

“County Judgea, County At%ornegs, Clerks of the Diatrlct 

end County Courts, Justicea of the Peace, Comtabka, +nd other 

county officers miy be removed by: the Ju&zes of the Dlatirict 

hrta for ineometency. off l.ci.al mlscondnot, habit-1 drunka- 

-or other &uses hifined by Zau, upon the OIUM therefor 

king set Sorth la vrltlng aad the flndlnfz of its truth by a 

m. (Brpbsls our(I) 
Hon. E. L. Hlnsoa, Jr. - Page 5 

Article 5940, V.A.C.Y., provides: 

‘All district and county attorneys, county judges, 

COSlUliSBiOlASl’S, clerks of the district and county courts 

and single clerks In counties where one clerk r?lscher&es 

the duties of dlatrlct and oounty clerk, county treasurer, 

nherlff, county aurveyoop, asseesor, collector, constable, 

wattle and hfde inupector, justice of the peeae and all 

county offlwre nov or hereafter existing by authority 

either of the Constitution or &WE, may be removed from 

offlae by the judge of the dLstrlct court for Lncompetencg, 

official nlsooaduat or becorping lntoxlaeted by drlnkipg 

1ntoxIcatIng liquor, as e beverage, whether on duty or not; 

provided suoh offtoer shell not be removed for beoomlng 

Intaxioeted vhen it appears upon the trial of such officer 

that auah 1ntoxiortIon was produoed by drinking lntoxlcatlag lIquora upen the dire& Ion and prescript Ion of a duly 

licensed practicing physiolan of this State. m 

Article 5971, V.A.C.S., provides; 

“In every mm of removal from office for the causes 

nemed in the preoedIng rrtiole, the cause or causes thereof 

shall be mat forth In vrItIngk and the truth 04 ss:d cause 

or oauses bs fouad by a jury. 

Article 5972, V.A.C.S., providesa 

“By sinaompatenoyl as wed herein ia meant gross 

lgnoraaaa of offiaLo1 duties, or gross ourelessm3w In 

the dlsoharge of them; or an offlaer msy be found to be 

incompetent vhen, by remon of sow mrioue physical or 

merital dofeot, not existing at the time of hla electlon, 

he has beoome unfit or usable to dlsoherge promptly and 

proper4 the duties of his office. ” t 

In the 09m OS Reeves vs. State, 267 S. U. 666, the Supraw 

Court held thst “an actloo to oust A county officer for offlola alseon&at is for the benellt of the public atid mutat be oonduated In the 

MW of the St&e of 4exae. and be represented by a county or district 

albrney. m 

The oaee of Mote ex rel DOVWI et al vs. Barney, 161, S. U. 

2d 55, (wit refused) involved 8n action for the rfSIov81 from off ice 

of the Sheriff of Yuew~ County. The Court, in reviewing the constitutlouel l nd otatutcp- provisions above set out, made the follovlng 

observatloar _.. .~ 
nuu. n. 4. HUNO~, or. - Page 6 

*we have washed the firm conclueion that the 

contentions of the aherlff met be sustained; that thie 

purely 10001 action to remove the Bherlif of lfueoea 

Oounty uhould hew? been browbt. if at alf. by the aountg 

or dlrtrlct attorney oi tlmt county. . . . 

I 

. . . such aatlom as this may ba laatltuted 001~ 

-‘by the dlstrlot or sounty rttorne ndthat th 

Beae,ml alon osy not lnitlmte 

0 Attorney 

It 3 &ha810 ourrr) 

IB v3.0~ OS the fongoirrg, It Ia our opl~oa that tha person 

in qn48tion 8an only b4 removed, If at all, bg a proper proceeding in 

the Dlrtrlct Court brought by the aounty or dlatrlot l ttor0ey. 'phi8 

D8~rtl88Ut UUOt p;88 UpOR th. qU48tiOP Of Uh4th4r OF not t&Z'4 I8 

oauem for removal, for au& pwstIon am only be Qotormlnod by the 

dlatrlat Court l ud the truth OS SId 08uaa la to be d4tOXmln8d by a 

1-y a8 prarId8d In Art1al.a V, S8ctlon 24 OS our stat4 Oon8tltutloa 

ana art1610 5971 OS our statukr. 

Art1clc 2343, V.A.C.S., 

th4 &8E8i48iOlWr8' COlDt, 

POVW8 t&t l rrjthne memb8rs of 

Inolutllng the county juQg8; ahall oonstltute 

a Quorum Sor the tlPaaactlon of any bu8lfma8, excapt that of lavylng 

acootmty tax. 

IIiI ‘Vi4P 0s the fO~4egOing 8tEtUt4, it 18 UOt LMC4888uCy that 

the Commls8Iouer in question be pr48oat at a mnotlng of the C0ma188101i 

Court for wid aourt to tranrot bU4ine88. 

8. w. 9681 Oobb and Gregory vs. Dl44, 

8841 Racer v8. Btate, 73 

110 Texan 68, 2l5 3. W. 439. 

203 8. w. 438; and mltotl 18. Al 

Artlola 6741, V. A G. S., l uthorlzoa the purcfuae or hire b 

the C~Ia8lOMr8' Court Of %ll noa48nry road UChiWry, to018 or 

to-81 m. . . 

the iOBd8.” 

8uoh bbor a8 my ba mao8rry. . . to build or repnlr 

mttor T8. 04Aoho oounty, 196 8. w. (a) 833, 835. n WI 

b8 OOt4d tht 4U4h pOv4r F48t8 aOt VithIII th4 indlrMPr1 CoS8Il8OiOlrsr 

but with tho OaaPai88iOlWl'8' 00-t. YOU in tb4r4fo?4 ~rltlkoriz4d to. 

approve lib pmymont of th4 utorirl , 8appli4raw4xp6a444 vhI& hv4 

b0er.i lo@- o r dend Or l uthorlmd b tb OoMI48lOlIOr8' Cool-t. 

bxtiolo 6’IU, V.A&.&, pi’dcb~sc 

'LIaept vhen road OO~iO8iOCWIr8 are employad, the 

oounty aomlaaiocmrs aVl1 k aupervl80ra OS publio Imad8 

In their l'48p4OtiV4 OOUIiti4S, and eU!h COl8BiaeiOll4r till 

8Up4rVl~ thB public road8 Within hla a~i88i~Or8 preoinot on44 oath month. 80 alnll alao mmko a morn report 

to oaah regular term of tb ommIsalonera court held la 

hlr oounty during the y-r, ahouiags 
. 

Hoa. E. L. liinson, Jr. - ?8ge 7 

"1, The aonditlon of all road8 Wad pErts of made 

in hla preolnat. 

"2. The oondltfon Of all oulvort.8 and brldgpa. 

“3. rphe -at O? UOmJ PO=ittiiag ill th4 hOti8 Of 

owPooor8 oubjeot to k OX@.ndod ~a th. P-d8 WIthIn 

hi8 proainat. 

94. fh4 WUb 8P Of l i.b pOOt8 and finger bard8 64- 

Sa44d and torn dam. 

“5. Ybrt, ii rSJ, WV M&8 Of my klad 4hOU~ b8 

op8nod in hlo pm0inat, urd vhat, lf m;l brldg,o, aulvwt8, 

or o ther iuprov4wto l r4 n444or~ to pt44 the romdo in 

him pPB4iRBt iR #ld OOaditiOll l rrd thB PPO-b 404t Of 8U4h 

laprovosrato~ al00 th4 mm8 of *vary ovormor uho h8a tailoe 

to vork ao. th. -6, or in ~~ nf Imglroted to prfom hi8 

duty. 

“8Af.d POpOPt Itu&& b4 B-6 llp4R thB UiRUt48 Of th4 

oourt, to bs aoaBid4nd in -ora pub110 mad8 and detemlnl~ tha OmouOt of trmrs bvi4d thosefor. 

It; 18 a goprrrl rule tlmt pnbllo dutima vhloh ~ulre the 

ou?Uiw Of? -800 OP di44WtiOR W thB mrt oi th4 OffiCOr, OaSIRot b8 

drlet@od bi tiio affi4.P. mu4 vs. hle ?Into &x&J, 71hr. 99, 8 

8. Y. 634; 34 ‘rox. fur. 4% 

It lo our apialocl that dutl4o pawrorlkd by Artlo3.8 67l.3 l w 

duties uhlah nqulrr th. 4~4Polw of m or aloontlcm on the port 

of ttw 0ammI8oIomr, and h4 arrrnot l ppolat morn to ast aa a-40+3 supervimor In his plroo. 

In thio 4onn44tlon, 44 vl* to point out, howvor, t&t 

&tide 6737, V.A.O.S., ruth4ri.040 tb Qcuioaiorwro' OouPt to ml07 

not l x444dw mur (I) ma6 maioilbps. lut~iou 6738, v.A.c.B., 

4am8mat40 the pcnroPo.amd (rtloo Of l neh r 4 8d o~I88IoR4ro. ArtIol4 

6743, v.A.~Q.S., aothorium t& QamUioioruro* Oolvt to appoint a raad 

8IrpPiotWbtint fOf th4 OOlantJ OP a 

U& 4alo#lOE4r 0 pnela4t. ~~~~7~~~~~~~f'L:~~~td",'tho 

pouora aod dut%48 of 8tNh rord rUp@P%ZitOtiat. 

aa4 above nntloaod Artiol.48 road a8 foll048r 

Qrt. 6737. ;rBplomnt 

%88h OOmiOliOluP8 OOUFt n7 4~~x07 not 4xa44ditAg 
Non. 6. L. Hinson, Jr. - Page 8 

four road commissionera, rho shall be reaideat cltieens 

of the diatrlct for which they are employed, snd uhen 

more than one is employed, the di8triCt that each reed 

cornmlsaioaer la to control ahell be defined and fIxed 

by the court. Such road coamLs8l.onera Bhall receive such 

compensation aa may be agreed upon by the aourt, not to 

exceed tvo dOllJD8 per dEy for the time 8ctwlly engaged. 

Each road commlaeiotaer shall first execute a bond, peyable to the county judge of the aountg and hI8 8ucces8ora 

In office, In sureties, to be approved by the county judge,' 

and conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties." 

"Art. 6738. Povera sad duties 

“A rood comml88loner 8hall have control over all 

overaeer8, hands, tOOl8, ImChiMWy and teaIXI8 t0 be used 

upon the road8 In his district; and may require ovorwers 

to order out hand8 In any number he mey designate for the 

purpose of openlug, vorklng or repairing road8 or buildings 

OF repairing bridges or culvert8 In his district. He ahell 

we thet all rOad8 and bridge8 In hi8 district are kept in 

8008 ropeir, and he 8hal1, under the direction and control 

of the commisalonercr court, inaugurate a system of grading 

and draining public roada in his district, and me that 

8Uch ayatem is oarried out by the overaeera and handa under 

hi8 control, and ahall obey all Order8 of the caamniaslonera 

court; and he ahell be naponslble for the safekeeping end 

liable for the 1088 or de8tructlon of all atachinerg, toola 

or teams pieced Under hla control, unless 8uch loss la uithout hl8 fault, and when he shall be dlaaharged he shell 

deliver them to the peraon designated by the CoUrt." 

“Art. 6743. Appolntlncat I 

"The aommIsaioaer8 court of any county subject to thI8 

law umy appoint a cOinpete& person as road superintendent 

for such county, or one 8uah 8uperintendent in each cammiselonera precinct, a8 it shall deteralne by an order made 

at a regular term thereof. Such order shall be entered on 

the minute8 of 8UCh Court, and shell not be void for want of 

form, but a aubatont Ial complInnce with the provlslona of 

this subdivision ahali be 5UffiCIent. Every road SUperintenbent ahall be a qua1Ified voter in the county or precinct 

for vhich he ia appointed, and 8hall hold his office for two 

years or until removed by the commiaaioner8 court for good 

CBUbB. No county shsll be under the operetion of this lam 

whose commlaalcuera court doea not appoint a road superintendent or superintendents." 
. - 

Hon. E. L. Kinson, Jr. - Page 4 

“ht. 6746. Pouers 

“Sub ect to the orders of said oourt, eaah superlntendent shal i have general supervisloa over all public roads 

of his county or preoinot, and shall superintend the laying 

out of nev roads, the making, changing, vorklng and repalrIng of roads, and the building of bridges except vhere 

otherwise contraoted, and over all county convicts worked 

on such roads, but this shall not. prevent the commissioners 

court from employing a person to vatoh and msnage such convicts and direct the work to bs done by them. Said road 

superintendent shall take aharge of and bs responsible for 

the safe-keeping of a11 tools, psohlnery, implements and 

teams plaaed under his oontrol by the comsissloners oourt 

and execute his receipt therefor, vhleh shall be filed vith 

the county clerk. Be shall be liable for the loss, Injury 

or destructlou of any suah tools, team8, Implements or 

maohinery unless such loss oooured vlthout his fault, and 

for ths vrongful or ‘improper expendftun of any road funds 

oomlng into his hands. On leaving office, he shall dellver 

all such money and property to suah person as the commlssioners court may direct. ” 

, 

It will be noted that the employment of rosd commissioners 

or road superintendents is left to the discretion of the Commlsslonerst 

Court and not to the Inddivldual Commlssloner. 

SUNMARY 

(1) Under the faots submitted, the CommIssloner of 

Preoinct 1 of Polk County 1s still a resident of Poti 

County and IS nov legally holding the offloe of Comsls- I 

sloner and 1s entitled to the emoluments Incident to the 

off loe until his re slgnst Ion or ramoval from off ice by 

proper proceedings. Artlole V, Seat Ion 24 of the State 

Constltu3oa; Artloles 5940, 5971 aad 5972, V.A.C.S. 

(2) The power to purchase road machinery aad supplies 

rests not vlth the individual County CossslssIoner, but vith 

the Commissioners’ Oourt, and only 8 quorum is necesssry to 

trananot suah business. Artlolem 4343 and 6741. 

(3) A County Conmissioner aannot appoint another to 

act as road supervlsor ln his place. Road Superintendent 8 
Hon. E. L. Blnson, Jr. - Pa@ 10 

or Bond C8oPllmsle~~rs DMQ be appointed only 

Comsiooiomrst Court. Articles 6713, 6737, ?&8fjne6743 

and 6746. 

Youra VOFJ truly 

JRzdjr