Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

. . OFFICE OF THfi A’ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN . . lanarablsJesrreTrLght - page 8 lQwBxc DOB8 THIS 80~-ATT&I1prwcrc ADTOMATI- XATICbtLIYAUTB BIS OSFICB03 DIR3CTORAB'DTiUASCIUi3L? '4. still anotherM r ep toha* r aoaepted aer- v-be,on salary, irom the U. fbr A&oultural De- Me 8orlc4.~litTexan. pttPtEn3nt. 'QIESX: DOlzSlXIS IIOA-ATl'&XDMCS MTOMTLCAL- LX YAOATBBIS CFFICS OF DIRi3OfOllT" tie el.igibiUty d perwms a8 dirwtoro of the D&&riot is presoribedby Seation83, of the Acit'areating the Dietriot,a8 ammded by liaB. 80. &M, of the 48th La@3latura, (p. 10x3) ud ia, 80 far as iS pertinent,aa fOl&aTSC *It ie further provided that any person ap- pointedas a dlreatoror abtornepof the Metriot shall not be eligiblato hold any such ateplqment or appointslent In the event soeh dlreateror at- torney Baa, during the precedingfire (a) year8 befoPehiaappolBtment or employmnt been emplq- edbyaq eleatriopower cou~pany``~dcdf'urt&er that 8ll personsappoinfedor.emplqed as direator or attommy of the Metriot a8 a prerequisiteti their appointment or empleyaent ahaX take and cub- ecribeto an oath anl aaka affidatitthat thay hare net during the preoedlngfive (6) year0bean enplqed in ruy oapaaltrby w power omnpaq here- in referred to cud that thq have not reaeiradsay monqs from such oharactarof enzployzkent, and suah eSSl.darit shallbe filed with the Deoretaryaf State of the State ef Texas bp all annobpersoDa appolntedor emplqed,andeaidaffidavitshall be opaa to publiulnspettioa at all times. Pro- ddadfu~thha that none of the prmirioxm hdreof &-hat :pply to any engineer amplqed %$ the Die- . 8e8lioa 33, US &Wale XYI ef the Gomtitution, de.. olaPe0I #The aooountingoffioers of this State shall neither draw nor pay amirra``tupon the4tremury 4.nfavor ot any person, for salary or ooa~penaetian PMeble Jeree Tright - page 9 ss agent,effiaer or appointee,~210holds at the amif3tlm any other offlO or pod.tion ef honor,frustor profXt,under the State or the united stetse, exsept 88 peeoribed in thla Osnatitution.b o vlded, l + l .* Illtheu..ghtofthia oonatltutloMlpotialoa, a ndth eltatote of eli&ibllit7 abOW qaote8,~3 till annupar queatioasin the wde~ youha~a pmpaonded . 1. The rot%on of the Bomd of DIreatoP 8aa not in violationof w eonatltution or at&ate of the State of texaa. lieneed not to de&e whetheror net the refuaslof the Board to eaoept the direotor~aresig- 'nationsaa effeotioefar fbnypurpsaeor mat. seeafion40, of ArtdoleXYI of the Constitu- t&on,deol%esr lXopewaon ahall hold or eueraiaeat the same tlllm, moronthan one OlVAl offloeof emoln- ment,e** (rith aertrinexOeptionanotpati- nent in this Inquiry)unlearn otherwisespeolel- 1~ provfdsdherein.. ZhhsB~srtlmsmbara of the Muesea BiYer~onasrva- tioaand Ectala~tionMstrlst sre decigxmtedbr theBOard of later BDglM)ers, etubjeat to the approvalof the Umerner, and nerve fop a stated per&ml of 83.x yeara. They are re- qatredtetake a ndlub sa c lb o toen oath of offiee,aiallar In ChaPaoteP te tho orths adad.niatuedto county coaldeaion- ua,amito weeate bOnt¶Ln the ~nroi 00.00 eat&, pap sbl0 to the Biatri~t, the aItfieieney 0P vhleE bond ia to be detarndmd b7 the Stat0 Boanl af Water Bnginesra.YaMne%ee in AonerahleJesa0 Wright - pa~o 4 tha B0ad of Dim&ore axe to be fillsdby a dssignatlonof the Mate Doard of Uator Augineora,and shallbe aubjeotto the approvalo? the Governor. (Ii*3. HO. 141, Ch. 427, 1st. CUled Seaeiozt,4lat. Legislature,See. 6, p. 1667) The nreabers of the Board - Direotors-- therefore, ue publio offioer6, within the meaningof Section40, of drti- ale A71 of the Constitution. Aorooter, we think they are holding a aId1 offloe of sroluuaut,thus bl’iesing tham complete17within Seotion40 Of Arti XVX. (leaf&on 7, of Kb 8. lo. l-41,ch. 137, Pirat Call0dSeaaionof the 44th Laglslature,deolaresr lThO members of the Doard of Dirootorashall reoeive a p0r di0m of n0t more thaa Piva Dollars ($J~.oo)aaoJ for the pori~d asned which shall iwlude trareliugand other neoesaary0xpamaea. Providedthla per diem shall nbt moeod tafmt7 (20) days in any one year.8 Undoubtedly,a boputy Sheriff,a DeputyTax Aaaessor, and th0 like ofCleora,are holders of a c&vi1 officre Of emalu- mat, from ~hl0.hit folloua any direotorholding such further officeof Deputy sheriff,or DopntT Tax Aosessor, is doinl[so in riolati0nof the Constitution. In au0h aitu5tZonthe acceptawe of and qualiflaotion for the oeaoadof'fiaeipso fsoto v50ateathe first offioetthat is, it oroatoa a vaoenopfOP the pslrpose of being filledby the appointing paver. 3. There is no statuteor rule of law autOrmtioa117 taoattigthe direator*a0ffiaa for szithor aP the rtvamnm stated b7 r-0 4. liortl nOn-attendsnoe does not raeate the direotor*s offioe,nor ue wa ublo to aqf from 7our letterwhether Or not the gOniOe on wlary fron the 8. S. &qloultwal Departsent oon- atitutesarc21aivil offios of enalunantaa woaldrork afarfcdture of elfioeunder &%tion 40, ArtioloAVI, Of the Conatitutioa.The lersi0enanUonad by yOus eroath0uAh ~naalary,aaybethatoia mere emplqeo, and this lleafion of the Q0netitutionapplies onlr to holdersof oivil offiae of wltu@nt. There is a diffwimoe. & enplo7eepertow a aerrioenot aa an offl0erunder the State, th eo fflo pe~ er fo r8ms lenioe, but It imolrea the exeroiae of soplepert BP the gcnenllosn~lfunotian rhdah differentiateeit . . - 5’43 Jews lrrl&t - page 8 AonoraIble fiwm that Of a mere positionor employmnt~ If the positionwhereinyour directorhas acoepted servioeon salary fropltheV. Se Agrioultu~l Departmentis ona iarolvingthe dischargeof a part of the ~gorarmmntal tunotion- an Mfiae -- then the answer to this queetion is the aamtlas that &iron to Ho. 2 tLbm01 YOPy truly yours 0018 Sper Ass1 etant OS-BA ATTOFtNEY OiZNZF%L OF TZXAP