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

Travle County **Aurtin,** Texar

r6latlro to the 0 

## oardully oorulde 

## your letter 

## a8r0 varlour, pueatlonr 8been reoelmd and

**wr qu0tS**  **rrom** 

## C8ll8UI ror IImadeby 

## Honorr 0rtheOml8U8,

onJune **nSU8 rOr**  **TraYi COUntJ,**  0,686 inhabitante.

rerence to salaries c& **county** and pre

## u, theraroro, pleass advise **u81**

**8 it**  **the duty**  **Or the**  **COidS6iOnSr8 ’**  **COUrt,** by reason

## 0r the ohangs of populatl,on 

## 0r Tray18 County, Texa8, and the Ola8slriOatlOn ohange

## or said oountp, a8 aforesaid to

## rix the salarlsr of the OfrlO6r8 named in dole 39128, **SSotion 13,**  **in aocoraanos**  **with,** thr Limitation8 8st **out in**  **Said %rtiole**  **and SSOtiOn,**  **and** rhould the order of said **court** fixing said **Salads8**

## 819

.

Honorable Paul Holt, Honorable S. A. Belger, Page 2

b4

## 4rr40tiY4rrom **June** 17, 1940, the date 

## or the announoement 0r said 1940 aeneu8 ror Tra$e county, Terse.

"2. If it 18 the duty of the Commi881one;8' Court to fix salarle8a8 asked in theprooeeding queatlon, and thr order 80 rlxing said ealarlee **18** not

## 4rr40tiY0rr0mJune 17, 1940, then rromwhat date 8hould sald orderbe

## err40tiv4.

ma. Travis County, onAUgU8t 24, 1935, had an orrioial **04n4u8 0r**  77 oemewithin the olarsrioatlon i777, ana under Artlola 3891,

or.oountlor oontalnlng a8 many ae 60,001 and not mcpe than 100,000 lnhabitants. In rixlng ealarler 0r OfilOer8 named in Artiole 39124, seotion 13, shall the Commleelonef81 Court

## 0rTraYi County, in arriving at the minimum and maximum llmltatlons of said 8alarle8, oompute the earning8 0r said

## 0rri04r4 on the ole88lfloatlon of oountlea oontainlnga8many a8 100,001and not more than 150,000 lnhabltante.~

“4. Artiole 3912e, 8eotion 13, provides,among other thing8: '%aoh **Or eaid**  **OlriUOr8** 8hdl1 be paid inmoney an annual 8alary in twelve (12) equal instalL nent8 or not lose than the 8Ua earned a8 compensation by him in hi8 orrioial oapaolty r0r the fl8Oa1 **year** 1935, and notmore than the maximum amount lllowed 8uOh OfflCer under bW8 exi8ting OnAugust 24, 19351'

"Do the **abovr** word8 *the 8um earnedby him a8 oompeneatlon'mean all fee8 earned, both oolleotedand unoolleoted, or do saidword8 mean 0011eOtedf8e8 only.

*5. **Und4r re4**  **hW8** 

## 8d4ting OIL August 24, 1935, a8 applied to oountleeoontalnlng ae many ae 100,001 and not more than 150,000 inhabitants, themaximum reoited inArt1014 3891 18 #S 500.00. In arriving at theminimum andmaxlmum lfmjtationr,provided inArtlole 39120, seation 13, 8ha11 the Commi88ionero' Court Of Travle County be **governed by**  the **marlmum or**  ~5,!300.00 #tat ed as abovr , or is the maxlmum amount the amount 8tetOd inAre1018 3883, 8eOtion 5, **p1U8** one-third Or **4X0484 r408.** Honorable Paul Rolt, Honorable S. **A.** Bllger, age 3

**“ 6.**  **A8** grovidedby **Art1018** 39124, 8eotlon 8, thr COXUi88iOh4r8'COtWt Or Tl'aVi8 County, Toxar, bar, **by** order **Pa8846** on January 1, 1936, plaoedall preolnot OffloOr on ralaryba8i8, whloh order has been re-onaoted each January lat. Is it the duty 0r the Cormml8eloner8' court or Travis county,Texar, to fix the malarler of all greOlmt ofticOrr, in ao**oordano8** with mlaimum and marlmum limltation8 **fixed** by law, at the time 0r the annouaaament 0r the

## orriolal cenous of Travis County, Texas, for 1940, as **above** rtated, or 14 it the duty 0r said court to rix 8alarler 0r prooiaot

## orrioers on January 18t, 1941;
**ror** the onruingyear, **or** rhall 8uoh ohangel, ii any, be ofZeotlv4 from the date of the passage-oran order ohanglng said preoinot OfflOer8' aalarlss.

Artlole 59124, Seotion 13, Vernon'sAnnotated Texas Civil Statutrs, roabr In part as fO11OW8l

n popule
or mor 

### 6aad ( fyg 

## r0ii0w and 00 lnolud toraey dietsi 'heCommt88icmere*Court in oountie8having a iionof twenty thousand **(20,000)** inhabitanta 1,and leas than one hundred and ninety thou- ~90,000)inhabitant8aooordlng to the la& .ngyrderal Census, 18 hereby authorized and .lbe its dutf to flx the salariesof all the .ngnamed 0rr oer8, to-wit: 

### rherirr, asaesaor Aector 0r taxes, oounty judge, oounty attorney, .ngorimlnal distriot attorneys and county atIwho perrow the dutles 0r diatrlot attorney8, Itolerk.oountr clerk. treasurer. hideand animal ln8pect&. za&h or edid **oriioeri** shall be paid in money an 6nnual salary ln twelve (12) equal InetalImonts 0r not 108s than the total 8~111 earned a8 oompen8atlon by him in hla offlolal oapaclty for the fl8oaI year **1936,** and not more than themaximum amount allowed ddoh ofiioer under law8 l xirtlng on Auuust 24, 1936;
.r. .” (Under8oorlng our81

Artfole 3891, Yernon'aAnnotated Texas Civil Statutes, read8 in part a8 iOiiOW8Z

"Eaoh orrloerM-4 in thir Chapter shallfirlt out 0r the ourrent **roe8** 0r hi8 0rri00 pay **or be**  pal4 the amount **allowed** him under the provlsloa8 0rArt1018 3883, togrtherwlth the aalarlae of his aaslrtant8 and.

Honorablr Paul Bolt, Honorablr S. A. Belger, Page 4 '


## d@pUtiO8,

and authorized expenae8 under Artiale 3899, and the Mount neoe88ary t0 **cover** Oo8t8 Or **premium** on whatever suretybona may be requiredby law, rr the currentis48 0r such Off108 collected in any year bsmore than the amount needed to pa.ythe amounts above speolfied, same shall be deemed 6x0688 fees, and shall be disposed of in themanner herelnarter provided.

I)

. . .

I "In oountlas, oontainlng slxt'y thousand and one 60,001) and notmore than 036 hundred thousand 100,000) inhabitants, dlatriotand oounty oiiloere named herein shall retain one-thfr.4 of such exoe88 fees until such one-third,togetherwith the amount saeoffied inArticle 3983, amounts to Forty-seven muds94 and Firty Dollara ($4750). Preolnot OfflaOS shallretain one-third until euch one-third, together with the amount s?eolfied InArtlole 3883, amounts to Twenty-81x Hundred Dollsrs ($2600).w

The Ofticers~ Salary Law became effeotive January lat, A. D. 1930. (Seotlon 21, Article 39120, Vernon'8 AanotatedTexas Civil Statutes.)

Artiole 3898,Vernon's Annotated Texas Civil Statute8, reads in part a8 r0ii0wsl

TYte fiscal year, within the meaning Of thl8 Act, shall begin on January 1st of each year; and eadh district, county and precinct officershall rile his report andmeke the final settlementrequired in this Aot not later than February 1st Or each year; provided, however, that officers reoelring an annual salarya8 ompensatlon ror their 8orvi068 shall,by the 01080of eaohmonth, pay iat the Ofrisers* Salary Fund or funds, all fees, oommissions and compenaatlon oolleotedby him during saidmontti.

. . .*
Article 39128, Section 2,Vernonfe Annotated Texar Civil Statutes, read8 in part aa rOllOW8:

"The Commissioners' CrJurt of eaoh county in the Stats of Texas, at Its first regular meeting in Jan-**Honorable** Paul Hblt, Honorable 9. **A.** Belgor, Fag. 5

uary of eaoh oalendar par, #hall,by or&ormade and entered la the minute8 of 

### saidoourt,,detemine whether prsolnot otrioerr of emoh oounty (l xoept pub110weigher8 and raglrtrars ofvital statletior) ahallbe **oompmrated** on a ralaryb8si8 a8 provided iOr in thi8 Aot orwhetker they she11 reorive a8 their OOIllpelleatiOn, 8UCh reO8 of OrflOe a8 Hi8y be 

### earnedby them in the perfomano8 oi the dutier of their OtfiOa8, and it rhfill be the duty of the oountyolerk of l

aah oounty to rorward to thenComptroller 0r Pub110 Aooount8 of the State of TeXa8 on orbefore th8 3lrt day 0r Januarya oertlrled 00~~ of 8uOh ordrr. , . ." Opinion Ho, o-2580 of thi8 Departmenthold8, among other thingr,that the ealarler ior the offleer named in Seotion 15,Artlole 39120, In oountier having a population of 80,000 inhabitant8or Ikoreand 1088 than 190,000 inhabitant8, 

### l ooordlng to the laet Federal oen8u8, .shouldba fired for the year 1941, a8 **prwided** by law oxirtingAugust 24th, 1933, regardlers or the population of ruoh oountiera8 8hOWUby the 1940 ?ederal oen8u8. Under the faotu relative to thir **opin** ion Llaertone County, Texa8, had a population ot 39,497 inhabitaatr aooordlng to the 1930 federal 0811~~8 and the preliminary oenau8 reportmade by theysderal 01118~8 Bureau ot the ooUnty'8population in 1940 wa8 33,380 inhabitaatr. The oplnlad further holds that the minimum ralary or einy'ofiioer **named** in Seotion 13 of Article 39120, 8upra, could 'iiot be lea8 than the total num earned a8 oompenration by the'lncumbent of the ofrioe in hi8 orriofal aapaclty for the

## risoal year 1935 and that the maximum salary oould notbe more than-themaxlmum em;?" allowed suoh

## orricer under laws exl8ting ok;ayt 24th,

. We emlose herewith a oopy qf Opinion No.

. Opinion No. O-345 of this Departmenti hold8 that under the ogfioerr' Salary Bill, the,DirtriotOlerk of Limertone Coumy, Texa8, 18 entitled to *not h88 than the total 8Ul earneda8 oompensationw rather than "the mum oolleotedm or "earned and oolleotad,* and ?n arriving at the ool'reot minimum ralary to be paid **said** ofr~Oer, the Connuissionere* Court 8hOUld oonslderthe mm total of both the ree8 mlleoted and unoolf$ef9;; whioh he would havebeen legally entitledfor the

The opinion also hold8 that in computing said olerk*r e&y the Commirrionera* Cw.rt shoulddeduct from the total eompsnsatlonearned, oollectrd and unoolleotsd,the ex-Honorable Paul Bolt, Honorable S. A. Belger,page 6

pen868 0r the 0rttoe ror the year &9?5, %i?h were legally allowed by the Commissionorr~ Court ror that year. We enolose herewith a oopy ot Opinion No. O-345.

No. We also enclose herewith a copy of Conrerence Opinion 3053 Or thi8 D8partment,whioh oontainr a ruii di8OU8- qion of the ninimum ealary or a aounty attorney under the OrflOer8'Salary h3W.

OpinionNo. 0-1595 of tht8 Department hoidr that when annual salarieshave been rixed ror the Ofi$Oer8 named in Seotion 13 of Articlr 3912e, Vernon'8 Annotated Texar Civil Statute8, by the COlSDli88iOll~r8 * Court they oanngtbe changed during that year* however, that the Comals8ioners~Court oould ohango the 8alarie8 Ior the following ykar,provided auoh aalaria8 are not leas than the total sum earnedas oompenaatlon by ths officer in his oifioial oapaoity for the ri8Od year 1935, and not more than the maximum amount allowed euoh oifioer under law8 existing on August 24th, 1935. We enoloseherewith
a copy of Opinion No. O-1596,whioh oontalns a full dieoueaion of thismatter.

As stated In your lettar, on August 24th, 1935, TraVi8 County, Texa8, had a population of 77,777 inhabitants, **aooord** lng to the last preoeding Federal oansus of 1930. At that time, to-tit, on August 24th, 1936, thrmaximum emountallowed the countyand district OfifOer8 0r TraVi8 County under ArtiOle8 38S3 and 3~391,

Vsmonv8 Annotated Civil Statutes, we8 $4750.00. The maximum allowed preclnot offioers in Travis County on that date waa $2500.00.

You are tharsiors, respeatfully advlssd that it 18 the opinion of this Department that the change in the population of Travis .County,Texae, haa no sffsot upon the salaries 0r the Officer8named in ssotion 13 0rArticle 3912e, Vernon'8 Annotated Texas Civil StatuteBe allowd any 0r said named oountythat the maxlmum salary to be or dirtriOt officer8 or Travis COWity,TeXa8, 18 $4750.00; that the IMX~~UUII salary t0 be allowed prroinot OfriOer8 of Travir County,Texa8, 18 $2600.00; that themInimum ralarier to be allowed 8uCh offioere is not le88 than the total 8um earned a8 OOmpensatiOnby 8uoh Offher in their offioial oapaoity for theyear 1935; and that after ealariee havebe8n set they oannot **be** ohangsdduring the year by the Commissionerr Court. I-

. .I -

Honorable Paul Holt, Honorable 9. A. Bslger, Ihgs 7 .:

an8wer to Tour fir8t quertion i8anmwered in the negative.

Your **8eOOnd** quertion beoomermoot in view **0r** OCR que8tion 810.1.

Your third question is **an8wer8d in**  thenegative.

In an8wer to your fourth queetion, it 18 **our** opinion that all roe8 earned,both oolleotedand unoolleated,
oomewithin the mrd8 'the 8um earned by him a8 oompen6ation.a

four fifth qurrtion beOme8 moot in view of **our** holding that $4780.00 18 thr maximm 8alary to be allowed dirtriot 8nd county OrriOer8 or Travir county under th? OffiOar8' Salary Law.

YOUr rixth qU88tiOn 18 an8w9rOd in the n8gatiVe. It 18 our Opinion that the COnrmi88iOner8' COUrt ha8 no authority to ohange the ulari88 oi prooinot offioen during th.8 year.

It ia the opinion of thft D8partment that the Commis8ioner8' Court of Travir County ha8 the authority to ahmge the aalariee of the otfiosrr named in Sootion 13 ofArtiole 39120,Vernon'8 Annotated Texa8 Civil Statutes, and of the preoinot otfioerclof Trtivir County,for the fieoal year 1941, protided aame are setwithln the minimum8 andmaximums allmsd by law a8 above indioated.

Your8 very truly



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