Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1940 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Eonorablr 8. A. Xodg.8 County Auditor n111iamon county ooorg4tarn, Texas Doar air I Opinion No. 0414S, Rot 1~ eaoh oounty quimd to tot* on a tha oourt raq he han the r or remain ail In your latter0 following qus~tlonr to t on the mimes “1. Doer the Co YO a right to e ths Consls- t to r o te o na llluoh oto oa each, or w he when them is not a o8ionrr required to Son the Court requir- the right to rorwo to aah Oouaty Oamiaaionor La require4to or8 aomlng bsrore the Court vimt la t& tPiiing.~r wuring, t0 t0tw Ia our o~lnion Ho, d-~l48 the above mrnt&oapd quar- tlonr wera aafmmrd aa followr: Vith refsrenoe to your rirrt quartion, your lttontioa is rorpeotfully direoted to ou opinion 71l2 honorable B. & Ho4~s, page B Ro. 0-1'918,*iah holds thatt "'The oounty judge enjoys equal voting ri~hte with ell or the other meabera of the 00m110eionQra~ oaurt whiah will lanoludothe right to %Qks or 8b00ad any aotion ana the risht to rote whethor there be a tie among the vote8 ot other members or the oourt or ace.' ma *l0 raolori``~a ao~ of the above ``ntlon- ed oplnlon ior your lnfomation an3 oonrenlenoe. You ~111 note),as above stated, that the oounty judqe hQL the right to rate oh all matters brought before tha ooemla%lonera* court requiring e vote of that body, nhloh iholudea the right to araM or aeoond any aotlon snb the right to vote whether there be a tie pmong the votes of the other %e%- ber8 of the oourt or not. The right of the onunty juQ,g to vote on all %&tars brought before th6 oomcl8sioners* court ie not rsatriotsd to lnstanoea to where there is a tie tote. "In reply to your aeoon~ qurdtlon, it %~FpsQra from all the Quthoritiea that va have exanlned, oon- stltutiorml, statutory, or judkal interpretations, the oounty judge la not required or ecmpellea to vote upon Qay natter brought before the cnamieeion- era* oourt, but has the rlGht to vote or refreln from rotlnp:a8 ha my determine. "In answr to Qour third quertloa as above a:.atea, an9 three members,oi the ocmmlsslonsra~ oowt, including the+o@tyl;jg6&e, constitute a quoruaaror the tranaaotUn~ oi Qay busineso exeept that of levying a sounty tax. Therstore, what has been said with roferenes to requiring or ocmpellln~, a county jutleeto vote on Qh9 netter before the aonnlsslonere~ oourt is equally applioable to any ooamlsaioner, and eaoh aonmiaaloaer may vote or rq- fuse to rote on any quastion.Qs ha shall determine. *In reply to pour raurth question, 9ou are ad- vised that a co%snls%fon%ris aot required or uampellod to vote on sny Qat'er ooaln& before the oourf, and that a refusal to note on any suah matter does not con%titute a peual orrenae of any naturOl.n . .. 713 Honorable H. A Hodges, paga 3 We am a? the opinion that the above quotrd answers to ymr questions are oorreot with one exception, whioh is that all mtmbere cf the eomml6%loner%~ court lnoludlng the county ju¶g@ who is a Bember o? aaid oourt are required to rota Vhan aeleoting a b%nk or banker as a depository of the funds 0r l o o ua ty. Artiole 428 a? the Penal Code reads as follows; *Any tsembbr o? the oommisaloaara oourb who shall fail or ret1180 to vote at any February tara theroo? n6xt iollowlng each gepsral eleo- tloa ?or a oamplianos with the raquiramentaOS the law providing fo rthe leleotioa o? a beak or banker a8 the depository o? the funds o? mob oouaty shall be fine4 not leas than on. hundred nor more than rive hundred dollars or be lmprl- soned la jail not lese than one nor aore then air aoaths, or both. Suoh tatlure or te?a%al Is ground for removal from o??lce.* In view of tha ioregolag statute,. you are reapot- iully advised that it is the opinion a? this department .that all aombera o? the eomlasioaera~ oguzt, uhioh laaludea the aouaty judge, are required to ~040 bn the aelaotlon of a bank or baakrt ? he funds a? their ro- as the diposltory ti,- apeotlve oounty, and a iallure to do so la a violation o? Arti- ola 426 a? the Penal Gods. pny aember of the oommlaaioners~ oourt f+iling to vote upon the matter of aelaoting a bank or banker as the depository o? the funds o? the oow Is subjsot to proaeoutlon under Artiale 428 of the Penal Code. Other- wise, in ooaformlty with the abavr msatloned opinion, you are advised that the oounty judge or a aosanfssioner is not required or ooopelled to vote on any matter aoming beiore the oourt, aad that a reiuaal to vote on an9 such matter, 4xoapt as ateve stated, does not con&tute a penal o??ema o? any nature. Trusting that the foregoing ?ully answers your fn- quiry, w remala -3k4b-J ATTORNEY GENERAL OP TEXAS