Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

OFFICE OF THE ATI-ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
I-
GCMLDC-
-- I n
dapaztmtmtr allowed
i
'%onorablo0. J. Wild*, p8ge 2
_:
8enorable C. J. Tilde, page 3
"In other mrda, oould the Oommirsionua Court
under the salary law pay the Chiai Daputles the $900.00
per'amum in addition to their regular oampeaaatia
baaed 03 the last praoeding Federal CansusPa
Bor oonvenifmoewe quote cot only 3eotion 4a oi
j&rCiole 3902, v. A. c. s., but Seotion 4 6180, as r0ii0w8t
*AFtlole 3908. Seation 4. Iu ooun’tleshaving a
population0r sixty thouaaud and 0ne ((10,001)me not
sore than one hundred thousand (100,000)ihhabltantr,
first aerlataht or ohlef deputy not to sxaaed lWenty-
row Hundred ($8400)Dollar8 per anaum; Other a8riatant8,
deputlas or olerk6 not to exaead Twaaty-onaRundred
('#2100.00)Dollar6 psr anma eaoh.
Waotion 4a. In 00miO8 hayins &:gopulation or
dxty thousand and one (60,001)and not roro thaa ona
hundred thousand (100,000)inhabitants aooorrdls(g to
th8 pra0eehg Feeual mmu~ and 00ntiaLtaga arty
Or not leas than riftpa thousand m,ooo) iahabf-
iant8 lcoordln~ to the prsoedihg Fedaral Canau8,,head8
of deprtmmts say be allowed by the Ooemi8sion~e
Court, when in their judgment auoh allowable ir jasti-
fled, the sum of Two Hundred Dollars [c@OO) per wnum
in addition to the amount hereinbefore,authorisadto
either First Assistant or Chier Deputy, or other Aasi8t-
ants, Deputies or Clerks, when suoh head0 or depaytnenta
am&t, to be appointed shall hays &xrerloualyramad the
oounty or political rubdirielonthsreor ror riotlee8
than two (e) oontlnueusyeam, provided no heads oi
dapartwnts shelf be M?oatad exospt where the persona
sought to be appointd.shall be in aatual oharga of
ROQC department, with Deputies or Aarlstant8,undar his
Oup~rviaion,or a deprtnlsnt a;-proved by the ocwrt, and
only In 0rric90 capable of a bana rid8 subdivisioninto
departments. &I added Lots 1937, 45th Log., p. SESl,
oh. 290, ( 1."
We think tbc anewer to your question in in the
negative for the reason that Section 4a, supra, sems to
provide for "he&s of departmente,Ra different offt'oaor
goeitlon from that of First Assistant or Chief Deputy.
fjf mmorable C. J. Villas,pa@ 4
mis oonetructionis borne out by the faot that Artlola
.I 890&i,.eupra,merely provides a mximum salary of ~$2400.
zFPFG;;t Assietaht or Chief Deputy, WA a maximum salary
each iOr other assistants,deFUtie8 or olerks
per"ann~& in thocsecountlea embraaed in the brackets speoi-
iled. Seotion 4 of Artiole 3902 is mended by edding
Section 4a, which provides for another higher ranking
position,nazIeIy,*heed8 of de_rartznente," and rlxinC
their marinuumsalary, in auoh aouaties as are emmerateb
in Seotion 4 of Artiole 3902, having a oity therein of
58,000 population,aoaording to the preaediqq Pederal
Canaua. A First Asslatantor Chfef Deputy, as euah,
oannot get more than the maximm of $24CO., provide6 for
in Seotion 4 of Artlola 3902, and thr amxdmeat, by adding
Seotion 4a, dous not help bsaause it does not apply to
then, but applies only to "heads of departments,Ha a.epa-
rate po8itlon altogether from that OS Chief C1er.kor Chief
mputy. If this be true, and 111) think it is, then the
Commiselonera~Court of Hueoee County oannot inorsaae the
pay of a Chief Dsputy~#WC. over that provided in Beation 4
oi Axtiole 5902, for the aimple reason that a Chier Deputy
does not oome uh&ar the proviefona of -3eotion 4a, the
amendmentwith whioh we are hero conosmed.
?ðer Section 4a of Artiale 3902, V. A. C. 9.,
is oonotftutionalneed not be ahsmreU, ami we refrain
rr0m eqrreaein3en opinion on its conetitutionelity. Ve
merely hold that the position ES OhhlM Dewty, oonoernSag
which you inquire, Is not covered by said Seotion 4a at
Axtiole 3902, and thererora in no event wald the salery
of Chlsf Deputy be lnereeaed by thu prooleionaof said
areotlon.
Poura very truly
EX'? hSSISTANT
ATTOFU?EYG?iWUiAL