Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1986 )

The Attorney General of Texas
JIM MATTOX April 25, 1986
Attorney General
Suprame Court Building HonorableG. Dwaync Pruitt OpinionNo. m-486
P. 0. Box 12548 Terry County Attarney
Audi, TX. 70711.2548 Courthouse h3: Whether a janitorial service.
512M752SDl
Telex 9101074-1367
Brownfield,Texae 79316 contract is exempt from the cm-
Telecopier 512147S-0266 petltive bidding requirements of
article 2368a.5, V.T.C.S.
714 JackSon, Suite 700 Denr Mr. Pruitt:
Dallrs, TX. 752024506
2141742-S944
You ask whel:hrra contractfor janitorialservices is a contract
for personal services for purposes of article 2368a.5, V.T.C.S.
4S24 Alberta Ave.. Suite 160 Before a county may purchase items under a contract that will require
El Paso. TX. 799052793 an expenditure ,J:Emore than $5,000, the conmissioners court must
91!x33.34S4 comply with certain competitivebidding requirements. V.T.C.S. art.
23688.5, 13(a). A contract for "a personal service," however, is
1001 Taxer. Suite 700 exempt from,thewmpetitive bidding requirements. -Id. §4(4).
Houston. TX. .F7002-3111
7lY2235888 In several Instances this office has determined ss a matter of
law that a contl'act was or was not a contract for personal services
8W Broadway. Suite 312
for purposes of county purchasing. See Attorney General Opiuions
Lubbock. TX. 79401-3479
Mu-344 (1981);W&530 (1982). The question of whether a contractfor
SW-7476238 janitorialservicesIs a contractfor personal services,however, is a
fact question that deuends on the nature of a aarticular contract.
See &bin v. CoJlin County Commissioners'Court, 651 S.W.2d 55, 56
4309 N. Tenth, Suite B
HcAllsn. TX. 7BSWlSBS
(Tex. App. - Dallas 1983, no writ). We cannot enswer fact questions
512fSS24S47 in the opinion process, but ve can set out guidelines for you to use
in determining whether the contract in question Is a contract for
personal servlce:3*
200 Main Piu* suits 400
San Antonlo. TX. 782052797
51212254191
In construingthe phrase "personalsewices" for the purposes of
another statute, the Texas SupremeCourt concludedthat "services"and
"personal serviceb" are not coextensive. Van Zandt v. Fort Worth
An Equal Opportunity/ pscss. 359 S.W.2d 893 (Tex. 1962). Someone who claims to have
AffIrmalIve Actlon Employer rendered"persoasl services"must have performed the serviceshimself.
The claiment'sc:u~ployees, in contrast,my have rendered "services."
If the contract you ask about requires a specific person to perform
janitorialservices. it is a contract for person61 services. If the
contract merely requires a person or a corporationto provide persons
who will perform jsn%torlal services, It is net a concrsct for
personal services.
p. 2226
Eonorabh C. Dwayne Pruitt - Paga 2 (JM-486)
SUMMARY
The question of whether a contract for jani-
torial services :Ls a contrnct for personal
services for pwzposes of article 2368n.5,
V.T.C.S., Is a Esct question. If n specific
person is required to perform the services,it is
n contractfor pn,sor``l services. If the contract
merely requires that someone perform jsnitorial
services, it is not a contract for personal
services.
L-l
Very truly yours/ 1
d/l -l-t
A;, /kJm
JIM MATTOX
AttorneyGeneral of Texas
JACK EIGHTOWER
First AssistantAttorneyGeneral
NARYKELLER
ExecutiveAssistant Attorue!f
General
ROBERT GRAY
Special Assistant AttorneyGt!ueral
RICK GILPIN
Chairman.Opinion Committee
Prepared by Sarnh Woelk
AssistantAttorney Genernl
p. 2227