ATTORNEYGENERAL OF TEXAS GREG ABBOTT
October 23,2006
Mr. Carlos A. Pereda, Jr. Opinion No. GA-0470 Maverick County Auditor Post O&e Box 1246 Re: Whether a county participating in Operation Eagle Pass, Texas 78853-1246 Linebacker may use Justice Assistance Grant funds to pay its sheriff or a constable compensation, such as overtime, in addition to the salary appropriated in the existing county budget (RQ-0444-GA)
Dear Mr. Pereda:
You ask whether a county participating in Operation Linebacker may use Justice Assistance Grant ("JAG") funds to pay its sheriff or a constable compensation, such as overtime, in addition to the salary appropriated in the existing county budget.' You also ask whether a county may compensate the constable from JAG funds for services performed as a deputy sheriff. See Request Letter, suprci note 1, at 1.
The Federal Edward Byrne Memorial JAG Program, administered by the United States Department of Justice's Offrce of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, "allows states and local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime and to improve the criminal justice system." BUREAUOFJUSTICEASSISTANCE, JUSTICEASSISTANCEGRANT(JAG) PROGRAM,OVERVIEW, available (last visited Oct. 13, 2006). JAG funds are allocated to states to be used to further certain types of programs,
'SeeLetterti-omCarlosA. Pereda,Jr.,MaverickCountyAuditor,to HonorableGregAbbott,AttorneyGeneral of Texas(Apr. 13, 2006) (on file with the OpinionCommittee)[hereinafterRequestLetter];see also Letterfrom HonorableJ. SteveHouston,BrewsterCountyAttorney,to HonorableGregAbbott,AttorneyGeneralof Texas(Feb. 14, 2006)(on file with the OpinionCommittee,also availableat ); Letterfrom CarlosA. ~~~~~~~ ~~~~Pereda,~~Jr:;Maverick~County~Auditor;t6~HonorableGreg~Abbon; Attor?i~yG&z%.l~of Te% (J&i.3lv2006)(on tile withtheOpinionCommittee,alsomailable ) [hereinafterJanuaryPeredaLetter].A county auditoris authorizedto requestthe attorneygeneral'sopinion"ona questionaffectingthe publicinterestor concerning the officialdutiesofthe requestingperson"if the auditorhasfirstsubmittedthe questionto the countyor districtattorney and disagreeswiththe attorney'sresponse.SeeTEX. GOV'T CODE ANN.5 402.042(a)(Vernon2005);see id. $41.007 (Vernon2004)(requiringa "districtor countyattorney,onrequest,[to]giveto a countyor precinctofficialofhis district or countya writtenopinionor writtenadvicerelatingto"that official'sduties). A countyauditor'sopinionrequest shouldbe submittedto thecountyor districtattorneyin accordancewithGovernmentCodesection41.007.Ifthe county or districtattorneyfailsor refusesto answerthe auditor'srequest,or if the countyauditordisagreeswiththe countyor districtattorney'sopinionor believesthat it conflictswithattorneygeneralopinions,wewill acceptan opinionrequest directlyfromthe countyauditor. Mr. Carlos A. Pereda, Jr. - Page 2 (GA-0470)
including law enforcement programs. See id. ln each state, the governor or other chief executive officer designates a state agency to administer the funds. BUREAUOFJUSTICEASSISTANCE, EDWARD BYRNEMEMORIALJUSTICEASSISTANCE GRANT(JAG) PROGRAM, FY 2006 STATESOLICITATION 2, available (lastvisitedOct. 13,2006).
The Texas Governor's Office, Criminal Justice Division (the "Governor's Office") administers the state's JAG program. See OFFICEOFTHEGOVERNOR OFTEXAS,CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION,STATE FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY THE GOVERNOR'SCFWEVALJUSTICEDIVISION, available at .tx.usldivisionslcjd/files/CJD_Funding_Ses (lastvisited Oct. 13,2006). The Governor's Office awarded JAG funds to Operation Linebacker, an initiative "conceived by the Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition as a means to integrate law enforcement resources along the border to increase both public safety and national security between points of entry." OFFICEOF THEGOVERNOR OF TEXAS,BORDERSECURITYPLANFORTEXAS,available at (last visited Oct.~13, 2006). Operation Linebacker's "[kley aspects . include increased patrols and the support of the local community to enhance border security." Id.
The Governor's Office has adopted rules regulating the various grant programs it administers, including the JAG program. See 1 TEX. ADMIN.CODEch. 3 (2006) (Offrce of the Governor, Criminal Justice Division, Personnel). Title 1, section 3.75 of the Texas Administrative Code pertains to the use of grant funds to