### THEATTORNEYGENERAL OFTEXA~

Sanuary 21, 1950

Eon. Parker Xllzey OplnloaRo. v-984. County Attorney Jim Wella County Re:The presentmaximum Alice,Texas aompenaatlonof prealnct offloera in Jim Wells County under Dear Sir: the subslitted faota.
Your request for an opinion 1s in part as follows:
"I would like **your** opinion on the queatlon of what 1s the maximum allowablesalary for precinct offloersof Jim Wells County." Jla Wells Coulitt

had a populationof 20,239 inhabitantsaccordingto the last preoedlng Federal Cen-

. Subsequent to yw requestyou advised us that the gcln&t officerswere compensatedon a "fee basis" in 1948. Aooordlag to the faeta,submltted, the precinct officerswill be aompensatedon a salary basisi in 1950. Therefore,the salaries of the preulnat officers la Jim Wells County will be governedbr Section 3 of Article 3912& V.C.S. (S.B.92,,Aota slat Leg., 1949, ch.320,p. 601), which provides:

"All of auah officer8who were paid on 8 fee basis durlrg the flaoal year of 1948, and who are now to be paid on a salary basis, shall be paid an annual salary in twelve (12) equal lnatallmentsof not leas than the total sum earned as compen8ation by him In hls offlolal oapaolty for the flsorl rear 

### of 1935, and not more than the maximum $01 allowed euch officer under the laws exlatln on August 24, 1948, togetherwith tha~twenr-five e (2%) per cent Increase allowedbr this Act within the dlsoretlon of the Comalarl~oners Court." The maximum a~ allwed reclnot officers under laws existing on August 24, 19 8, t was governedby the provisionsof Articles 

### 3883 and 3891, V.C.S. We quote those provisionsof these articleswhich wereHon. Parker Elleey, page 2 (V-98$)

applloebleto Jim Wells County in 1948:

Art. 3883: 'exceptas otherwiseprovided in this Act, the annual fee8 that may be retainedby precinct,county and dlatrlot offlcersmentioned in this Article shall be aa followa:

In oountlea oontainingtwenty five (25,Oiijthouaand or less inhabitants:County Judge, District or CriminalDistrict Attorney, Sheriff, County Clerk, County Attopney, District Clerk, Tax Collector,Tax Asaeasor, or the Assessor and Colleotor of Taxes. Twenty-four Hundred ($2400.00)Dollars &ach; Jixstlce of the Pi&e and iionstable Twelve Hundred ($1200 00) D ephasls added) . ollars eaoh.

Art. 3891:

deputies, and authorlaed~expensea under Art1010 3899, and the amount neoeasary to aover atits of premium on whatever surety bond may **be** requiredby law. If the current fees of such office collected in any year be more than the amount needed to pay the amounts above specified,same shall be deemed excess fees, and shall b&dlapoaed of in the manner hereinafterprovided.
"In oountlea containingtwenty-iivethousand (25,000)**or** leaa inhabitants, District and County offloersnamed herein shall retain onethird of such exoeas fees until such one-third, to ther with the amounts specifiedin Artlole F# amounts to Three Thousand'Dollara($3,-

. Precinct officers shall retain one-thlrd until auoh one-third.to&&her with the amount apeclfled in Article 3l5U3. amounts to Fourteen Hundred Dollars 014OOL., I

. . .Ron. Parker ISllzeY, page 3 (v-984)

"(a) The 

### ~ommlaaionerrr Court Is hereby authorized,

when in their judgmentthe finanala1 condition **of** tha county and the needs of the o?f%cera jtutlfy the increase,to enter an order increasingthe oompensatlonof the precinct,county and diat+lot officers la an additionalamount not to exoeed twenty-five (25#) per coat &f the 808 allowed under the law for the fiscal year ef 1944, provided the total oompenaatlonauthorizedunder the law rCor the fiscal year of 1$kb did n t sroeed titias" of ThLrtf-ak 8

. (Baphaaiaadb& rod (&OO.OO) DalThe maximua oom

9Y oeatlon of a pnoinat 'fioar I Jim Wells County in 1 4 WI8 $1400.00. Arts.3 843 and 3891. Subdlviaioa (a) of AiMslo 3891 above quoted whlah waa effective In 1949, allowed 8; increasenot'to oxceed twenty-five per oerat

of the sum allowed under the law for the fiscal faar of I@I4. Therefore, the maximum compensationof a pa8,Lnst officer in Jim Wells Count &n 1948 was $1400.00plw twenty-five per sent, or 41 00 ($1400plus $350). 350.-

Since the maximum oompensatlonof a reclnct offloer in Jim Wells County was $1750.00 in 19i 8, the 8axleum salar now allowed a preelnot officer in that county is $17 0.00 plus

9 50 01750 plus $437.5050). twenty-fiveper cent, or $2187.- brt.39l2g, Sec. 3, V.C.S.
SUHHARY The maximt8 oompensatlon **of** a preoiwt officer in oouatloa of less than 25,000 lnhabitanta acoordlq to the last precedl**Federal** Census, who waa oompensatedon a "fee basis" in 1948 and la now OolPgen88ted on a "salarybaala" la $2187.50. Arts. 3883, 3691, and 39Xr;r, v~.C.S.
APPROVED: Your8 very truly,
J. C. Davla, Jr. PRICR DARlBL County Affairs Dlvlaivn AttorneyGeneral Charles D. Hathewa Bxecutlve Assistant JR:bh:mw Asslbtant