Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

OFFldE OFTHE ATTORNkY'GENERAl. OFTEXAS AUSTIIU BonwrttbleSix?C. ~Cleckq,~' D6ar sir: ,_,,_c +.-....... --,-~ RonorsbJ.8 Joe C. Glodney, Page 2 bInd9.u;end 'velidaa ff dorm by the .ksesso.vand Colleotor or'Taxes In purscn, pxmided, tket in cou.rltica ileviut: a po~uletiunof t&me hundred end fiftg-fire thousand b- >5j,O00) Or 1~03x9 ecooi-dI= to the lust preoediug yadelal Census, the Aaaes3or and Collector of !?ezosmy in edditioh oontrect with spc32i~ideputies having special technical t~ainih&, skiii, cd experience for the purpose of assisting hiulin obteining ihfometiou upon rvhichto base proper valuations of oil and miner8.3.~ boaring leuda cud proparties ehd loterest,.s~,~.oroln, . irsduatriei ad menufsctur3.ng plants, end other properties;qhhore special tschnicsl akill and train- ing Is requirad. In sddition thereto, such special aasistsnts, olarical,~ eocountin& or stenogrephio, as my be necessery to conduot,,the orgeaization herein provided for end to carry out the purposea or this Act nay ba applied fol*end appointed in like olaneerprovided they ahall bagappointed only far purposes conaiatant\qIththis hct. In e&Ii- tlon thereto, the Assessor and Colleotor OS Taxes shell be ,egt&oriqed to apply for the appoFntn?ent of a apeoiel head of the'automobile,~diviaion OS ,_ ~. his oSSice at a aalery~not .,totrxoaed TFJO Thousand, :1 ,':".~. .- .eveu Ku&red Eoll&ra ($2,700) per enhui.~ The cctipenaatiou to be paid audh speciaL de@ios end spsoiel automobile d8periment head shell be aubjeci to the &pprovel.of the Comiuiesiohera Court end the County Ludiior, en& 1Wtationa upon the mount of 8Uoh aomponaation&sew&em provided sha.lill not ep- ' PlY. The contreot of employment shell be for a defloita tern,,not extending beyond the term of offioe of tha Assessor and Colleotor, end ahall ba mda upon morn applfcation,tothe ~omissioners Cotit sh0ivi.wthe necessity therefor, end ahell be al;bjeotto approval both as to aubstanoe and as to form by the Comissionara Court end by the County Auditor. hots 1%76,-p; 220; G. I.,vol. 8, pa,1096; Acts 1935, 44th M-T..,p. 648, ch. 262, Q 1; Aats 1939, l&h~Lo&, B. B. $%22,,Q 1." Article 7256, Varnon's hnnotstsd Texss Civ3.IStet- utes, provides for the eppoiotmnt of aeputjr tar e3sos3oT- collectorsin oertsin towns end cities. There are no ego qualificationsfiucd for such daputles in this stetuta. ~oonorable soi?0. Cladmy, Faga3 .. llrticle1605, Vemon7.s hktatea TOZES Civil Stat;- 1 utes, provifies,amnz; 0th~ thiags, 'iOntb.asjigoInti9ent of deputy tsx assessor-oollectorsft)XbWi!iCil 0I'f'J.oes in ce3dxin Goutrtios. ‘I’his statate does riot prGr;crlbe Oliy age cpsl?l.iYctw tions for such deputies. drtiCit3 72& %XXIOZI'S hTKIOt&Gd 'l8X83 civil scat- u&s, presoribes tho.oath thst couiitytax assassor-aolleatorn =a tiidr deputies Bust take. Ihevor, it is olearlg e?,parcut thst ,thePe1s nothing in it that n &nor ooul.¬ subscribe to.: t~rtlole3902; Vernon's fmotatoci Texas Civil Stat- utes, provla.sofor the aygointrml~ or &puties, assistants end alerki generally but does not prescribe sny age quslrfi- cations for suoh appointees. Section 7* Infants; 23 Texas &?.risprudenoe, p. 7':2, reads 8s rollorsr on whether tha olfioe is 8 ninistcrial OCR-ajwii- cial OLW. The rule hss been $hua stated: If the orf%oe is ninistorial, 3uch aa calls for the exer- cise or skill saCiLntelligenae only, tiers ifi@ legally hold the s&.m end execute the duties there- of; but if the office is jtiicial or om T.'hich con- oerns the ackL.ni$iration of justice, itdants nay .no",be appoi:ltoaLhersto. IL im5 bocn helriacoerd- in&y that a minor fxty hold the oki?.ueof deputp county olo?k, tb~erebeing n0thin~g.k the eonstitu- Lion 0~ statutes prescribirig?u~l~llicatians-bush would rendor hifaimligible or disqimlify hia.* :'!G have been unable ~to find any constitutionalor v ugo q~ualificztiona 3tnl;utoryprovisions roquirin, for deputy oounty tnx sssessor-colleeto~a.. Honorable Joe C, Gladney, Page 4 1% quote'from 34 Texas JurisprudcnW, p. 345, as follows: ~.'. n In so 'faras the decisions have dealt with ~t&&ter:it 'inheld thzt botghminors and women can be deputy clok~,*and a womanls CT- gibility is'not affected by the faot that she is marxied.n .,(Undsrscorlwoxrs) TX& case of Narkreadtirv. State, 33 3; I?.117, Texas Co'uYtof CrXninal Appeals, holds tlwt a nfnor nmy 1~ - gaily serve as a deputy county oleric. The oasa of Delaney v. State, 9.09. W. 642, Tuxae Court of Criminal Appeals, h@dn that a deputy distrititclerk. need not be a qunli.fied.voterand may bs~a wamsnl This case oftad the Earkreadar oase,'``su~>ra. Opinion 30. O-4963 of thin department holds that a minor may legally sexve as assistant county auditor. A oopy. of this opinion is etiolosedherewith for your infornatioa. You are resoactf& advised that it is the opinion of this ~departmentt&t a mink may legally sexve as do-&y oounty ta2 assessor-oollector. This is true irrospectivo of whethe or not the disabilitiesof minority have boon removed. vh.J.,Fanning Assistant