MARK WHITE Attorney General
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**wte 312**  **Lubbock,**

**TX. 79401**  **aw747-5222**

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**San Antonlo.** 

**TX. -76205**  512N54191 

# The Attorney General ofTexas
February 3; 1982

Honorable Themes B. Sehon District Attorney Falls County Courthouse **Marlin.** Texas 76661 opinion NO. MU-438
Ret County holidays

Dear Mr. Sehon:
You ask a series of questions regarding the authority of the county cmissioners court to declare official county holidays. You first ask whether the county commissioners court has the sole authority'under articles 2372h-1 and 3912k,,V.T.C.S.. to designate official countyholidays. Article 2372h-1.V.T.C.S., sets forth:

In each sounty~of this State, each elected county officer or the Commissioners Court, as the case may be. shall have authority to provide for vacatioqs. ~holidaysfixed by State law, ,andsick leaves, 'withoutdeduction or los~.of.~pay.and to provide for deductions for absenc&s,,~ for the .employees

working under the elected county officer or his appointees or under'the Co&issioners Court or it?.:appointees~ or under a County Colmnissioner or his',cippointees, regardleas~~ of whether the' ~employee~~is,psi~~.~n~~~ fixed:ialar$~ba& or~,onthe .: '.ba$isyof

*$ti'&qti~~

+iily'~gg&': Ntithi&'in..this ;.": $iz~,' $hali"'~affec~':"efist~~'law~,,,a~thdrling_:or ..~ ' te~lari~g'~~acaiioriBj!;tioliday~. sick ,~.,le-ive

) and absences for county e&loyees. it being the intention. of, this Acts gnly,.to provide. such 'duth~T~ty.ciith-iespect d~'the

&ployees.c,overedby ~thii'~~~.'in'~dunties 'G+eieit~does not-now exist. (Emph&&b'&&d.&~). " .,, Ar@ably;'this-proiWsibn~au&o$ise& aach co&y officer to provide for "holidays fixed 'b$.~,St&te ~ls$' for‘his oti employees. See also Attorney G&eral~"O$inio~s '.0;%876':(1940);O-1441 (1939). Article 3912k. section 1, V.T.C.S.. provides that:

Except as otherwise provided by this Act and subject to the limitations of this Act. the commissioners court of each county shall fix the amount of compensation. office expense, travel

p. 1505HonorableThomas B. Sehon - Page 2 (Mw-438)

expense, and all other allowances for county and precinct officials and employees who are paid wholly from county funds, but in no event shall such salaries be set lower than they exist at the effective date of thisAct. (Emphasisadded). This office has already concluded that sick leave benefits fallwithin the ambit of the phrase u...compensation... and all other allowances...."Attorney General Opinions H-860. H-797 (1976),as does vacation entitlement, Attorney General Opinion MW-136 (1980). We conclude that entitlement to holidays is also a form of "compensation" or other allowance within article 3912k. section 1. see Texas -- EmploymentCommission v. Briones. 601 S.W.2d 818, 819 (Tex. Civ. App.
- Eastland 1980. writ ref'd n.r.e.) (holiday pay constitutes "wages" for **purposes** of deterwininR claimant eligibility under the Un'employvent

CompensationAct).- The two articles appear then to be in partial conflict. One statute, article 2372h-1, V.T.C.S., purports to authorize elected county officers and the colmoissioners court to provide for holidays fixedby State law. The other, article 3912k,, V.T.C.S.. reposes such authority solely in the county commissioners court. If possible, the two statutes should be construed together. See Renfro v. Shropshire, 566 g.W.2d 688 (Tex. Civ. App. - Eastland1978..writ ref'd n.r.e.) (construing together articles 3902 and 3912k. V.T.C.S.). The later statute however, the one wore recently enacted, contains a repealer clause which provides that "[t]o the extent that any local, special, or general law,~ including acts of the 62nd Legislature, Regular Session. 1971, prescribes the compensation. office expense, travel expense, or any other allowance for any official or employee covered by this Act. that law is repealed." V.T.C.S. art. 3912k. M. We conclude that the repealing clause.acts to.strip county officials, other than the county ctnaiaissioners court, of the authority to provide for paid holidays under article 2372h-1. V.T.C.S. See Attorney %eneral~Opinion R-697 (1975). - Your'remsinlng questions concern whether, in the event that the other county officials are without the authority to designateholidays fot their employees, the county commissioners court has the authority to provide for deductions from salary or wages of those officials and employeeswho were absent. In our opinion the commissioners court.has authority under absences." article 3912k to provide for "deductions for

See generally Attorney General Opinions H-860, B-797 (1976):H-402 (1974).
SUMMARY

The sole authority to provide for paid holidays for county officials and employees rests

p. 1506. HonorableThomas B. Sehon - Page 3 (BW-438)

with the county commissioners court. The court way provide for deductions from salary or wages in the event of an unauthorizedabsence. Very trulyyours.

MARK WHITE Attorney General of Texas JOHN W. FAINTER, JR. First Assistant Attorney General
RICHARD E. GRAY III ExecutiveAssistant Attorney General Preparedby Jim Moellinger Assistant Attorney General APPROVEB: OPINION COMMITTEE Susan L. Garrison, Chairman Edward Garvey Rick Gilpin Jim Moellinger Bmce Youngblood

p. 1507