**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS**
**AUSTIN**

tated **Statutea. pro~I&es** 

**the manner**  **or their**  **prp aald**  **Artiole 8rc**  **8s pal** 

tar **o? any**  bounty **In** this **e# with**  **the** oon8eat **or the**  Metrlct **Jttdgcs lmrlng**  **jurls tier**  **prorIde%** 

## appoint **8**

cr u8lctants rho *ball be **nuthor**



### and theulu-Ice to be paid enoh, and &all oert5fy the list to tke Vi8trlct Jo*e, or In the erea: ot more thaa one Mstrict Jmlge In the county, to the Mstrlot Judges, 3~lc3 tfrc Distrlot **Judge or**  the Dietrlct JurIg:es&all **t!xz**owtully wnmider the application for tho po%ntmnt of uld assistants and maymake al“pnwsary inquiries wn0erd.n~ the qunlificstions of the porwns MEI& fhe posltlon wught to be illled and the reownableaern of the salarias requested, rod if, 8Ster cuob consldorat&on, the Dimtriot Jmiga, or irr the went o? more th8n One Dl8Wet Judge, a mmlority of the Mstritt Judges &all approve the mppolntaaentr wught to be madeor any timber thereof, he or thy shall prepare a list of the sppointcos w 

### approved

and tbe aalarles to be paid each and aertlf’y said llmt t& the Comissioners* Court of said wtmty. The Crumlssioners~ Court shall thWeup~nor&w theaaountpaidPro~ the General Amd of uid county upon the performance of 

### the 6ervheq and msid court 8ball epproptiiote adeqaato funds ror the pmpo~e*
you state that you appointed UI aeslstmt, having the qu8litiolrtlons of an atforney; oex$iried to the seven District &dgeeotYarrieCauntyhl6Da~ qgallfloations, expsrbnoe, 

### the mount 

### OS salaryto 

### be paldhfm, the duties he ms to pertom. the prlnaljml one being to give you legal advice touching your omcial duties, and asked thrrt his appointmentbc oontmeb* me &dg06 t&Okt&C ippliCatiOn rmd@rconelderatiou, approved the appointaeat, certified their action to the fhmdseloners~ Court of pwrls County, rbemupon the appointee qualified a6 an oasistent, assuimd his dutles'shich he hns
ww d.noe perfomed most etfoctirely.

you further state that sameparson, not sp orncba, 

### bur&f~edthequostion of tbet8lldltyofthe appolntmmtoa the Opund U&t tbC 8SSiSturt is 8Xi PttOtWy, ad hi6 ptioipa duty %8to gbe YOUleg& dT%Oe td~~Chfng yOoUr OmOm duties. meSafer hpsr your letter ihat no legal proceedings hare been inotituted to 

### test the legality of the appointment rab none are oontamplBted# but the questIon Is stllmltted flololy ior pow inton~etba, guiwm+ 8td faiewi0n.

The oW%ce ot county ondltor is a very k2portent one u regard.8 the flwa3 affairr of a wunty. lt is a matter of eimnonlaumledge that the duties of the County Auditor or n&rrl.sCeuutyextendtoo~ypolltical sub.Urisl~~~srmtfotmdin 

### any othereomty of the statotthebuslnesrr aMaIm of the wunty 

### are tar&aland extertslvs. 

### n3c audltor 

### iu dallycontronted r1t.hmanylegal questtins iwolring the ml%dity of nuawoua~cuat,raoto m6d.e by the wunty and other agencies uI11cb**,, ,.**  **..~. .,**  **,, .**  **.. ’**  **-.:.**
**Lloaorable &**  **L Taehbumb**  **B4 R%**  **tozn,** page ‘*’



### he mart 8pprore or re)ooh 6ndnany 

### other legal qumstlons frequently ari6e In mnrmction dth his 0ffiah.l alutists. &nc of those lega) guestian **aro such**  **6s 6re**  **ctomon to**  all county audItars, mile others are 

### appllc+able only to the County Auditor of mrri~ County, Artialmm 1661 tm lss6r inalumlrq and ArticiXem1667r 8s aacsaea, tm iem lmlusl~e, &Cat%; Articles zsss8 and Is- -verw11~8

. AM. 8tatutcq 8ndCh6ptmr 31, **Act6** of the Bpecidl Smmmio~, 

### (2rl Legiidoture,

ememl.tng

Bards CountyRod Law, chap, 17, Aat. of the Reg.Sosa 33d Leglelatur8.

The at8tute proeoribos no qu6MXlcationo for 88 auletsnt wwty audltor~ An mssietmntaay be l mlmrk, mtmnogrmphmr, ti~~kkmmpmr, 

### oertlfG3dpubllo mooounteaf, clerk,Sllealwk, typlmt,et&, mdreg6Mlemmottbe dutyparfonnedbjany ezuploymeota mmuntyatxUt4wmmmh and wery entployee16 ammemciarily aa us1mtas3tootmty audStmrbecause 

### t&a l 

### tmtutornnkom

no prorlmlon for the appointnentofcinJ~ootsnployee~the~~foroofher fhan 'PUeiSttUltS' Or ~depatles,s Which tmllS6 U-m Usmd intarah8ngeably Sn Art, 16m although their rempeotlre meanalglmnotot-lmwil ymylWayiaoum)tbel~umedirrdioatesthatthefenssre.ro intended to be mpayi16ue.



### The Legimlfbture

hfbm Wade It thedutyof dlmtrict and wuuty attorneys, the Criminal

District

Attorney

of hurls County and the **Attorney** 

### Geacrnlto give legal adrioo'ta camty 

### auditors8boutznatters toucblng

or oonomzw lngtholrolflGlml dutlea 'Artlcles3B4# 4399, Bsrimed. Stat&w, and At'tiCh a2438 7eracin'r Code of hhiul Fromadare*

Dndertheiaetm mtaatea, adthe l t6tmtm6 6bmre mentionad, 

### the quemtlon 

### 1st Tmm theqpmlntw3ntoTthe u6imtantmoouatyaudltmrUg6lt

The appointamnt 8a6 regularly made. Tbo requ%rementsos the rtatute gorerningthmmppofn8mntmsm ltrict

### ly ooalplied

rith. Itbc.ldallegal,ltmstbeupon tale wle ground that 

### theprinoipalduty the rmslmtant

### pmrfan~e 188 dutyplmwdby 8ktute 

### oxdlumiredyq~~n the Crialnml Dlotriot

Attorney

OS Ramis Cowntyand tbeAttorney -6eaeral. It aurstbe rcuenberad that this Mmi8tmntpmrfbmn dathm other 

### than to giveyou legal adriCe Te find a0 iahibitlon 

### in the statute

againsta oaumty 

### 8udit.maonsulting rith or receiving 6dvAociron bfs assistante about qnestlons imolring **bi6** OffiCial dUtiC?S. It 1s~posslbl~ cradin sane instances ldghly probable that an auditor my have an osaistat far better qualified than he is to pass upon legal ques-tIma u%mhg ia the otiios. De the l t6tute6 amt68phte Last the urditOr my rPt oaok hi8 uhioet T'cdo not fh&& **m0*** **geithmr do**  **80 bmllwe**  **that the**  **8tatutem aathotiing**  **m** oounty auditor, or 6ayotkrofTlc1611 ta 

### smmklegalmatioe tramhim wunty 

### oc dietriot ~ttaney, 

### or tbm Att.omsf 

### Oenar& ~tsrplafe~the~l~kior~legil.oOSnion irarr themeoffloirtm

8bout **wmry** 

### oftloiml dutyhe Is rmquired ayl8u topmrfors. It 

### is truethattho rtatutmmdo tWt lblithi6 t-i&it t.0 uk tot- driCt3 **8bOUt qWstiOn8,**  the
**anwerm to**  **whlah he**  **10 in**  doubt **but** 

### or **oeoeodty he**  

### sost **deo%da~** 

### Theremrenany queetlmnm mhlmhdaily arimmin taxi perfonusnoe of hisoffici4l duties. Ia the instaatcaw, the mmsist6at %Beither 6n 6ttiwney 

### or porse6ses the 

### quailrlontlons

OS 112) rttornt?y.

ItlmpFmmunad tbatbe i6 0opble 

### o~~~~~~~me(P~u~eo~hislegpl

**. H~Og8&~pu~indotibt8sti**  

### U~rilidityof8nymentr8ot, tbemmnwotnmsao~maylm& tom, or any quamtlm uponwhichIt Is your0frlc14 duty fo dektennin~

youamybeeldethe question yoweelF, or younay mmek the advioe of oae 

### or more olt par 666iatm1t6. If l tSl1 indoubh youhwe the utthorlty te request- 

### mplnlonirmn yourCW Mmtrlot Att4Mwqa orthetAttornef6mnmrm3, 

### or **f?rom bofh** **’ of**  **tbmb mblcb**  **oplnio4 when**  recelted, **should gov**  **mm youty**  **omcl+ utlone** 

**It 16**  Wt **ptW4UWd that**  **fotl illteodbd**  **that the**  **ad vice**  OS the assistant ahonld control wl~enc-oatrsry fo the tiw 

### or the 

### criminalvlmtrl& 

### Attorney or the **Attmnmy** cmera& or tbrttbmUutiem&pmrSonam mbouldmupa-meaZm tbme of the offiel8lm n-da, but to be In 8id twreot.

**A@4 me**  **tbbk** it Is **ciM6r ih6t**  **the** l **tatutem lm**  **pow no**  **duty upon**  **either the**  

### CrSdnal DLmtI?i(Dt Attornmy

**or tha**  **Attorng ceaeral**  **to** pmpare 

### legaltomu tarymo mr fo psrior~otb~dutledp~~y~~L~efop~romae.

mf3 f8Otm f’tIt%&r diSdO66 thathe l T- 4 hi

### neatDimtrlot&dgmm rho rpt&riUXi thimmppointrnent did mo after ukd wxtmaed 

### lrmestlgatlo4* s7mhlnveatytloB 

### ~~mmmarfiyiavml+munmtolilyiLloottbeinfowetloa mmntainedinporrritt~~plioatlontorp~wionfolnalre theappointmeatbuttbe verylegal qammtionbmfmrmo* All Of tbsu gfSIti@QSn SFe b3SW3d bI the 16TJ h6WBcsftea -6 

### monmtltutfwull



### mtbof offloe;

hmd fullhwle&gm of rrll. theprorbio~~ ofthe l **ktutoe pertinent**  **to the**  **qUestion and**  being **thns rully**  **edvlud tl.eelded**  **that the**  **eppolntmen i**  cuuldbelegallyaade; gnxated your upplb6tlon~orperQlm6lon to makeemae#w2xmmpon you did lake It. Their deatalon 

### rlrtudly forecloses 

### the **qUestion.**It Is oar opinion, and you are so ad~Iscd, **that**

**tlxe** appolthent was legal, rendthe quo~tlon Is onswerod Ln the aftirnatire. c
Xoarr teq truly
ATTORN'EX

GEBEML**OF X** **’ EXAS**