infomatlon, a copy of en opinionto Hou. Frauk Wrl&ht,County Auditor,Ronham,Texas, by Ron. WILLJ. Fanning,AselstautAttorneyGeneral.
With referenceto your third question,above stated,we would point out that Articles1646 and 1647, RevisedCivil Statutes 1925, ae emended,plvviðat thoae couutleswho are not ell@ble la have a CountyAuditorbecauseof the lack of the necessarypopula- thou, or the requiredtax valuation,might have the beuefltof the servicesof a CountyAuditor,upon In outlinedwherebysuch cm be done.
The salaryof such AudItor,however,le not fixed by the comtissloners~ court and/orby the dletrictjudge or JU&XJ, imt Is fixed by the plain provlslouaof Artiole 1645. In that article is fouud a yard stick by which every mch CountyAuditor% eelary may be detemlned, to-wit,$125.00 for each One Wllion Dollare,or major portionthereofon the aeaessedvaluation,to be computedfrom the last approvedtax roll. For your assi&auca, we are eucloeiugP copy of the exhaustiveopinionof Ebn. Rmce W. Rrymt to Eou. A. W. Emery, Couaty~Attorney, lacogdochea,Texas,under date of May 19, 1939,ae reflectingthe opinionof t&La admlnl6tration touchingthle question.
You then ask if, under Artiolee1646 and 1647, suoh appolutddCountyAuditorcaube dlreotedto act also lntheoapaclty Of Plmhaslng Agent of the county.
The powereaud dutlea of a CountyAudWiurare variouelyde- fined in Article 1651tw0ugh Article 1676, inclueive,Revised civil Stat&es 1525~audmen&mute thereto. Nowhere lathe Amlitorauthorized to act aa Pmchaslng Agent under the Texas statutes.
Itcaubepresumedthatthe office of PurchaeingAgent, and the duties incidentthereto,ie a dietluctcapacity,not embrace&within the generalstatuteapertainingto the officeof CountyAulltcm. The LegiSlatum has &ealt separably with such ln Article 1645-1, m to certaincouutlee,stlpulatlngthat "ip addition--to the regulardutlee performedb --U ae required& law, ehsll act as PurchaelngAgent for 4 and hau provlde~I the county, foZn eddltlonaleamy incidentto the County Auditoractlmg aa such. Furthsmore, Article 1646 contalm this provleloa~:
When the oommleaioners~ court of a county,not mentionedaud anumeratedin the precedingarticleshall detemlne that en Amlltor la a publicnecessityin the dispatchof the county buelness,and shall enter an or- der upou the minutes of said court fully settingout the reaeoneml laecesaity of an Auditor,end shall cause r&n. Cleud Wolf, Paere4 (O-1338)
eald~Audltor,to bk ctr&lf3ed.$othb d18trbuki $u%geshaving jurisdlotlonlu the county,eald judgeeshall, If euch reaeon be coueideredgood aud sufficient,appointa county Auditores providedIn the suocecdingarticle,who -- ahell guallfysnd performall the duties requiredof CountyAudi- tore by the ge -- -- of thisState."
which "lews of this state",above referredto, do not includethe du- tlea of a PurchaeingAgent.
Therefore,the duty of aotlng ae PurohaeingAgent not beiug prescribedby law, lncldentto the office of CountyAuditor,mud no oddl- Mona1 compensationbeing allowabletherefor,you are reapeotfullyadvised that it is the opinionof this departmentthat a County Auditor,appointed under Articles1646 and 1647, couldnot be'direotedto.eetaleo In the capacityof Purchasing#gent for the county.
Truetlngthat the foregoingamwere your luquiry,we remain,
Yours very truly,
BY Wm.J.Fauuing /e Wm. J. Fanolug Aselstant
WJF:AW
APIBXED mP18, lg39
GeraldMann /a A'M'ORNEYGENEBALOFTEXAS
APPROVED OPRiIOIy conwm BY EWC 0h01nu0n