Opinion ID: 2430934
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Attributing liability to the municipality.

Text: To impute tortious actions to the City, it must be shown that the acts were expressly authorized by the municipal government or that they were done bona fide in pursuance of general authority to act for the municipality on the subject to which they relate. Christopher v. City of El Paso, 98 S.W.2d 394, 397 (Tex.Civ.App. El Paso 1936, writ dism'd). In a recent en banc 5th Circuit case interpreting Texas law, the court remarked that Liability must rest on official policy, meaning the city government's policy, and not on the policy of an individual official. The policy is that of the city, however, where it is made by an official under authority to do so given by the governing authority ... City policymakers not only govern conduct; they decide the goals for a particular city function and devise the means of achieving those goals. Policymakers act in the place of the governing body in the area of their responsibility; they are not supervised except as to the totality of their performance. Bennett v. City of Slidell, 728 F.2d 762, 769 (5th Cir.1984). Even more recently, the 5th Circuit extended its earlier reasoning by holding that culpable acts or policy are attributable to the governing body only when made or done by an official to which the governing body has given authority to act or to make policy. Thomas v. Sams, 734 F.2d 185, 192 (5th Cir.1984).