Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Honorable Fred lorrlr County Auditor pow county LiMlrgston, Texa8 Dar 8lr: Toot totter req nent on the abovo rtated e a r0a 8horrinaaate, rpo8e of trip, rpe8dometor at t&o end or thla trip. in thfi maimer,and asj n they OaB be (Ledu&ted. County auditor, the authority to efore apprming hi13rcoount f43rtra- Or ha8 th8 C8Emi88ion8r’r oourt this authority before thrr d&w tbi8 aooO~Bt ior trarel 0xpoi1888? or should the CORd88iOBOr'8 COUrt be 8MBti8rid with hi8 aOQOUBt, dU8t 8hOW- ina;apaedoretsr'readings, anO allor the aeewnt, woud I hare the aatherity to dunand more tbka lk Honorable Fred Korrlr,Fags 8 OWOFB 8tZAtWlellt,8tatiBe thatthe8e Pi148 were traveled In line or duty, 8-e briay neoe88ary) eta. "Plea8e give me a rullpg, or advise 88 to the proper 8tep8 to take In thl8 mtter.’ Polk County has a p0 ul.atlonof ltO,w5 l@labitantr aooordlag to the 1940 Federul % 8a8u8, and tha county orrioial8 or 8aid county are 00mpineat0a on an mmual salary ba8i8. Seetloo b or Article 8fJ90,Vernon’8 Annotated Civil stututaal,rsab8 ln part IX8 follont r(b) Skoh orrleer named in thi8 A&,, Where he reaeire8 a 8abw a8 ormpenrptlon tar hf8 0emlae8, 8hall be emporered and p*r- mitted to pUroha8e und bats ohurged to hi8 county all rmsdimble expenee8 moemu the proper and t&W eon&dot of M8 offfi"00 premlw on OffiOitk18w bonds, praium 0B rL8, burglary, thsrt, robbe,, lneuranoe protertla(( public rw8 and lnelod2, the coat OS Iraretr bond6 for hi13DepUtfe8, ruoh eXpon8e8 .bobe pas8eclon, pmt-determiod and allewd’ in kidl and mouBt8, a8 nearly a8 pooslrible, by the cQmBi88i@BeP8* Court enoe earl8 !zl@ath for. th enduingmath upon the appfioatlon w eaoh OffiOir, 8dBe the kind , jkobable amoant~or expenaltare an4 the nsoe88i-,y r0r the s*pea*r or hi0 ottfoe ror 6uoh ensuing month, whloh applloation *hell, befor presentation to raid oo~rt, rlrst be sndor8eQ by bhr County .AuUltor, ir any, otherwl8o the County Trearuror,.only a8 to whether igo& ara available for payment or such expenmel. . , . “ "Suoh puroba8es 8htiA be made by eaoh 8rrf- oer,,when allewed, only br reuul8l8ion in man- ner provlbed by the County Auditor, If eny,' otherwise by the ~OilUaiO8iofiW8* Cotlrt., &Oh orrieer ehall, at ths,oloiie0r each aohth 0r~ hllrtenure or orrloe, ‘&ekean ltd!wQ an& rworn r ort oi all ap rwad expeMo8 igpurred b? hla a3 ohergea to hPa ooun8y, aoeompanpbg mob report wish hv0i008 eW6Pin& such pUrGh68e8 and reQti8itiOn8 iaeUe$ br hia %n 8UppOSt Of Eonorable Fred lKorrl8,Ppge S 8uoh report. xr 8uOh espwl8.8 be lnourred in oonneetion with any partioular oalle,8uOh report shall name 8UOh oa8e. Such report, ifIVOiOe8and requisitions 8hall be eubjeat to tiheaudit 0r the county Auditor, ii any, otherwise by the Comlssloners* Court, and ii it appear8 that any lten wa8 not lnourred by suoh Officer, or that such item was not a neOa8EIacfor lo& expeare or suoh errloe, or puroha8ed upon proper ref&8itloa, auoh ltanishall be by said County Auditor or Court rejeoted, in whioh OECI~I the payment of 8uch item may be adjudloated in any court 0r oompetant furl8diotlon. All lrwh approv- ed o h io u a n8la o Qunt8 8hall be &aid rrom the Orrlaer8~ Wary Fund wiles8 othsnlse provided herein. ” . . l There the automobile or automobile8 are ORBWI by the Shedif or his Deputies, thq shall be allowed rour (y! cents ror rob mile trarsled in the Qisoharge 0r 0rri0tii bu8iaes8, which 8oI shall Oover all expemee or the malntenmoe, depreelatioa lnQ opeatlon Cl 8UOh automobllc. 8ueh mileage 8hau ba reported ant¶ paid in the 8rme manner pre- 8erlbe4 for other allowabl$~expeMe8 under the provi8lOn8 Oi,thi8 8ell.biOlI. NO autosloblle ahall be allowed for any.~@dputysherlif ex- oept those regularly emplOyad in outaide work, It 8hd3. be the duty or the COUMiy Audltoti ii any, otherwi8e the Cuaalo``lo&r~* Conrt, to aheek the epeedoaeter reaQla(: of each oi 8ald aUt0mObile8, ovaed by the Ooonty onOe saoh month aad to keep a pub110 rseord thereof; no automobile Owed bg th4 OoU.ntyshall be u8Ml ror any private purpo88.” Qensrclly speaking, the general dUtie8 of the Audi- tor are to keep an overlight or all tha OriiO6P8,Or the oount~, di8trlOt or 8tate, who POJ be authorixrd 0~ required to Se- oel.reor colleot money for the use of or-bslonging to th6 Oounty, Xcimmibla Brad lWrl8, Pega 4 and to 8ea to the mtriot enfareamant of the lawa govarni~ county finnnoar. kf0~4ap4dmall7, it 18 hi.8duty t0 4tia acaount8 and raporb, OOMt OII8h,pra8orlba form8 and ml.8 to be u8ad in the eolleotion of county ravemaa, and raoeiva bids formatarial8 and rupp&le8. Xe 18 required to keap =I..- orated a0wunt8, naka quarterly and mnu81 finan0i.l r4port,8 to the C.~la.ionar8' Court, and to parSorm vllriou8other ,dutio. impoeed upon him by law. Artiola l&4$ Vernon’8 Annotated Civil 6t.tUt.8, referring to the County Auditor, provldwt ra8Oriba an4 prepare the fora ?I% shall to bo wad by a,P~ 1 p.raon8 in collaotion of county ravenU8Q, fund., fees and all other monay8, and the mode and mariir of ke.pln$ .nd 8ktill#Jtheir WQOWt8, end oh. time, mod. and wnnar of m8k- lag their report8 to the auditor, a186 th. node and mmnar of making their 4nnu.l report 41 sffioa f.48 oollaotad and disbursed, end the aENWlit l'efWdt9dto the COWit) in aXCa.8 Of tho8. allowed under the g.ntr.1.P.. bill law. X4 8h.11 have power to edopt and'enforce suah r.@.atiwa not i.OoIl8iSt.llt with the oonstitu- tloa and 1.~4, 88 he nay 8.~ eaeential ts th. speedy and gro2.r aollacti.on,oheoking and ao- oounti~ of the lWVMtl.8 4nd other funffaand fees belongI% to the oounty.” It will bt,noted that Artlola W?@, 8qra, only .u- thorice and impoea8 the duty upon tba County Auditor it any, otharri8a the Co~eusl.o&ar.* Uouxt, to aheoJsthe spaa&matar reading of a.oh of aaid automobilee, owned by the ceunty, on.. laah m0at.hand to k4.p a public raoord thereof. Thir artlole furth.r provide8 that *no autrmnobtla owned by the .ouaty 8b.11 be used for any private p0rp.84.~ Where the autonmbila @I 4utomob11.4 used br the shsrlff or hia depiltiar,araowed br the couaty and ape not wad for any private yurpoao, the amount of mllaaga traveled oan be determined by . opsadoaatar reading of teachof mid autcxnobil.8ueed ln the t3.Wuaotlon Sf Offiaial bu.in.88. ?&waver, where suoh autaa.bila or auto- aobiias are owned by th. aharlrf or hia doputlar and are wad for private purpose8 a8 wall a8 On offfaial bu8inarr tha pro- par milaa a~ trrvelad on offiaial bU8iSA.88 oMnOt ba d@tmiaad b]r4 read& g of the 8pe4dOIS4tOr of suah .ut.mobila 4r ,aUtolaO- bll.8. Bonolrbla Fred Worrl8, Page S 88 think that it 18 clear that the I,egl8laturaoon- templetad paying the 8herfff or hi8 daputia4 four cent4 for eaoh mile traveled in the discharge of offiolal bU8iUa48 when the sheriff or his deputies uaed their own autoraobila8,and thet there Wa8 no intention whatsoever that the shakfff or his deputy Phould be paid four cant8 a mile ror Ch&tise or their automobile8 when traveling for any purpoea other than the dlaoharge of official bUSi.4488. In view of the foregoirrg8tatuta8, it 18 our o in- ion that the CountyAuditor ha4 the la& authorltr and rPght to pra84rib8 and prepare Ion18 to be used by the ehariff or hi4 daputiee whioh will show the oorraot number of mile8 traveled in the discharge of OffiOial buskra88. Ciaarly, the shamiri or hi8 daputles oamot ba legally mid any amount for the u4a of their autoloobi.188 other th4n tha stat- ~ utory amount when 8UOh automobil are u8ad la the di80krga of official bU8in.88. In other words, no nrilaaga8hould be allowed to the 8hariff or his dapuuti48when thay uaad their automobile or automobile8 for any prlvata purpose or any pur- pose other than the dkObar84 Of official bUllitI488, and a8 above stated, the Auditor CM pra8oribs 4nd prep&r4 the forma to be u8.d in determining the aorraot numbsr of mile8 traval- sd by euch officiala in the Ulrcharga of thalr official burl- na84, provided 8uoh forpr and ragul4tionr ia OonPsotion thara- with an not lncoo8l8t4nt wlth the Comtitution and lmm of thi8 State. By &&&!&;,i.L -~- ArdoU Willla1~8 A88i8t4nt AW:OO