Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1946 )

318 Eon. R. L. Armstrong 1 County AudStor b Tom Green county San Angelo, Texas Dear Sir: Opinion No. O-75ll 99: Authori~;~ of the Cadssioners’ court to appotit an assistant &x?=y ;;tt.trney io aeeist the , Cow&y kttomey ln the general erformme of hk duties other 5han the proseautkn of tax miits, end related que6tions. 'i% have.&%ven cam&al consideration to pour letter of November 14, 1946, requeetiug our answer to the following questions: .. : Does the Caawissioners9 Court of !Z'oloGreen Qnmt~%e the autharity to a pclzt.zn assistcurt : _L &ms@y Attotiey~'to aasl,t #a E-ounty Attorney in tha . genwal pecforaaace ef his d&leg, ether than the pre- o4outionaf tax 6altB? .(a. Is it the obligation of the County tc pay the premkti on the bond of such Assis'taG County Attorney? . If ymw answer to q7 first question 1s An th *w. afflrsstive, what are the stiq linits for such...agsistsnt L and cut of what fund should'the s;ae be @d?" Artlcla 3902;V.P.C.S., provides in part 66 fotiowsi %henever any district, co?rrtp or precir.ct officer shal2. requke the services of deputies, assfstants or clerks iu the perfomancc of his &atlas he shall appl to the County ComAasioners' Court of h5.s county for ant Ko- rity to apyoint such deputies, asslstmtt or clerks, stating by sworn application the number needed, th* posi- tlo;l to be filled and the miouat to b6 paid. iiaid a pllcatlon shall be accompanied by & statment shwdng t &e probable receipts from fees, comrAsions and compen- . 319 Bon. R.L.Annetroag-P-2 ration to be collected by said office during the fiscal yeer cud the probabledirburreaents which#hellinelude all ralarierur4 mpenees of raidoffloe; and said court ahall .&co its order authoriaing the appointment of such olerks and fiirthe compensation the limltatione herein prescribed to be ap*ted as 9.21the dlsore- tlon ef et&d 8ourt may be proper 8’ ovided that in no base shallthe Cor&ssionere’ Colx or any memberthereof attemptto innuenoe the ap intment of any person as deputy assistant or clerk iz any office. U,pon the entry or BUdl order the officers appi q for such assistants, deputier or clerks shall be auti?orieed to appoint them1 provided that said compensation shsli not exceed the t+eclmm amount hereinafter set out. ,The compensation which may bo allowed to the deputies, assistants or olerks a-8 named for their services shell be a resoonable one, tit~tolxaeed the foIlowIng amountsi , , ;” The unambf.guouo lsnguage contained in the foregoing Article without question empowers 6he County CommWionerr* Court to authorize l&c pasty .,Attornby to a point JU assistant Count httcwney who, upon taking the cofl@titut10 n&J o&h of offlce,is slot ned with ail the ra and grtbority.of the CouutyAttorney.~ Art. ~-See 331,Uerieeti E") t~a ta ,s l ~fwe, we havc.uuiwered yourMret quesC%onia,the #lemmaum* - $ec. (b) of Article 3899, Y.A,C.s. , from which we quote ih pert,r&ads as foUow6t . in Ws Act, wh&e he receiver a salary as compensation for h&s servic~e, sh+l. be 'entitled &nd permitted to purchase or charge to his -..’ * county al?. reasonable expenses necessary in the - hitd..legal eonduut of hit offlce, pmlws en of fr c%~e -bonds,prer@m en fire burglery, theft robberyinsur- ance pro$ecting; public&de, end Lnclud&$ the cost of suretybonds for his deputies. . ." Thus, &en offiaial bonds are required to be executed by deputy or a&&ant ccunty officitis, the county is liable for the pre- mium expense involved tf;erein. Rowever, we know of no law requiring. e.n assistsnt County Attorney to execute an official bond. Therefore, we answer your second question in the negative. 0011~ 8. L. Armstrong - We 3 , Article 3902, Section 3, V.A.C.S., prorfdeet "Ir: countfes having a population of thirty-sewen thousand Biro hundred aud one (37 501) and not UOIWthen thOUSarrd (&,(xX)) inbabitads,fiI'St a68il$tWlt 0~' dep uty no tto lxGeed Twwaty-03le sllmdred (i2lm.00) per amum other aarlstants de tits ew clerks nmt~e~leed El&en liundred (#ldOd# Dolhra .F . Provided that nothiq- in this Act ahaft be oonnstrued LB repeali% 0~ affeS5.y; Sx%S.x 2 of H. 8. Nor 6% Chapter 315,Acts 1935, Forty-fcwth Legislature, pace 72i.a Soction~9of Xrtiele 3902,mqma, authoriece the Co*unty Con- eireuwtanceo, to increase the aora en- clerkin the additional amount no e to of the a&~ allowed under the lawfor mmpensetion authori\(ed ZLc?not exceed f43600.00. . Tp~&,iw that the foregoing will be of assistance to you, we remain