318 

Eon. R. L. Armstrong 

1 County AudStor 

b Tom Green county 

San Angelo, Texas 

Dear Sir: 

Opinion No. O-75ll 

, 

99: Authori~;~ of the Cadssioners’ 

court to appotit an assistant 

&x?=y ;;tt.trney io aeeist the 

Cow&y kttomey ln the general 

5 

erformme of hk duties other 

han the proseautkn of tax 

miits, end related que6tions. 

'i% have.&%ven cam&al consideration to pour letter of 

November 14, 1946, requeetiug our answer to the following questions: 

. . : 

Does the Caawissioners9 Court of !Z'olo Green 

Qnmt~%e the autharity to a pclzt.zn assistcurt 

: _L &ms@y Attotiey~'to aasl,t #a E- ounty Attorney in tha 

. genwal pecforaaace ef his d&leg, ether than the preo4oution af tax 6altB? 

.(a. Is it the obligation of the County tc pay 

the premkti on the bond of such Assis'taG County Attorney? 

*w. . If ymw answer to q7 first question 1s An th 

afflrsstive, what are the stiq linits for such...agsistsnt L 

and cut of what fund should'the s;ae be @d?" 

Artlcla 3902;V.P.C.S., provides in part 66 fotiowsi 

%henever any district, co?rrtp or precir.ct officer 

shal2. requke the services of deputies, assfstants or 

clerks iu the perfomancc of his &atlas he shall appl 

K 

to 

the County ComAasioners' Court of h5.s county for ant ority to apyoint such deputies, asslstmtt or clerks, 

stating by sworn application the number needed, th* positlo;l to be filled and the miouat to b6 paid. iiaid 

a pllcatlon shall be accompanied by & statment shwdng 

t & e probable receipts from fees, comrAsions and compen- 
. 319 

Bon. R.L.Annetroag-P-2 

ration to be collected by said office during the fiscal 

yeer cud the probable dirburreaents which #hell inelude 

all ralarier ur4 mpenees of raid offloe; and said court 

ahall .&co its order authoriaing the appointment of such 

olerks and fiir the compensation 

the limltatione herein prescribed 

tlon ef et&d 8ourt may be 

to be ap*ted as 9.21 the dlsoreproper 8’ ovided that in no 

base shall the Cor&ssionere’ Co lx or 

attempt to innuenoe the ap 

any member thereof 

deputy assistant or clerk 

intment of any person as 

or BU dl 

iz any office. U,pon the entry 

order the officers appi 

deputier or clerks shall be i? 

q for such assistants, 

aut orieed to appoint them1 

provided that said compensation shsli not exceed the 

t+eclmm amount hereinafter set out. ,The compensation 

which may bo allowed to the deputies, assistants or olerks 

a-8 named for their services shell be a resoonable one, 

tit ~to l xaeed the foIlowIng amounts i , , ;” 

The unambf.guouo lsnguage contained in the foregoing Article 

without question empowers 6he County CommWionerr* Court to authorize 

l&c pasty .,Attornby to 

taking the cofl@titut10 n&J 

a point JU assistant Count 

o&h of offlce, is slot n ed with ail the 

httcwney who, upon 

E") 

ra and grtbority.of the Couuty Attorney.~ ~-See Art. 331, Uerieeti 

t~a ta ,s l ~fwe, we havc.uuiwered your Mret quesC%on ia,the 

#lemmaum* - 

$ec. (b) of Article 

pert, r&ads as foUow6t 

. 

3899, Y.A,C .s . , from which we quote ih 

in Ws Act, wh&e he receiver 

a salary as compensation for h&s servic~e, sh+l. be 

'entitled &nd permitted to purchase or charge to his -..’ 

* county al?. reasonable expenses necessary in the 

- hitd..legal eonduut of hit offlce, pmlws en of fr c%~e 

-bonds, prer@m en fire burglery, theft robbery insurance pro$ecting; public &de, end Lnclud&$ the cost of 

surety bonds for his deputies. . ." 

Thus, &en offiaial bonds are required to be executed by 

deputy or a&&ant ccunty officitis, the county is liable for the premium expense involved tf;erein. Rowever, we know of no law requiring. 

e.n assistsnt County Attorney to execute an official bond. Therefore, 

we answer your second question in the negative. 
0011~ 8. L. Armstrong - We 3 

, 

Article 3902, Section 3, V.A.C.S., prorfdeet 

"Ir: countfes having a population of thirty-sewen 

thousand Biro hundred aud one (37 501) and not UOIW then 

thOUSarrd (&,(xX)) inbabitads, fiI'St a68il$tWlt 0~' 

dep utny o t to l xGeed Twwaty-03le sllmdred (i2lm.00) 

per amum other aarlstants de tits ew clerks 

nmt~e~leed E l&en liundred (#ldOd# Dolhra .F 

. Provided that nothiqoonnstrued LB repeali% 0~ affeS5.y; 

in this Act ah aft be 

Sx%S.x 2 of H. 8. 

Nor 6% Chapter 315, Acts 1935, Forty-fcwth Legislature, 

pace 72i.a 

Soction~9 of Xrtiele 3902, mqma, authoriece the Co*unty Coneireuwtanceo, to increase the aora enclerk in the additional amount no e to 

of the a&~ allowed under the lawfor 

mmpensetion authori\(ed 

ZLc? not exceed f43600.00. 

. 

Tp~&,iw that the foregoing will be of assistance to you, we 

remain