Judges: GREG ABBOTT, Attorney General of Texas.
Filed Date: 4/12/2007
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 7/6/2016
The Honorable James L. Keffer Chair, Ways and Means Committee Texas House of Representatives Post Office Box 2910 Austin, Texas 78768-2910
Re: Whether, under the common-law doctrine of incompatibility, a member of the governing board of a metropolitan transit authority may simultaneously serve as acting city manager for one of the cities within the authority's service area (RQ-0543-GA)
Dear Representative Keffer:
You ask whether, under the common-law doctrine of incompatibility, a member of the governing board of a metropolitan transit authority (the "MTA") may simultaneously serve as acting city manager for one of the cities within the MTA service area.1
As you state, the common-law doctrine of incompatibility prohibits conflicts that may arise from holding two public positions. See Request Letter, supra note 1, at 1; Tex. Att'y Gen. Op. No.
The third component of common-law incompatibility — conflicting loyalties — prohibits an individual from holding two positions in different governmental bodies that may have conflicting interests.See, e.g., Tex. Att'y Gen. Op. No.
In our opinion the offices of school trustee and alderman are incompatible; for under our system there are in the city council or board of aldermen various directory or supervisory powers exertable *Page 2 in respect to school property located within the city or town and in respect to the duties of school trustee performable within its limits — e.g., there might well arise a conflict of discretion or duty in respect to health, quarantine, sanitary, and fire prevention regulations. If the same person could be a school trustee and a member of the city council or board of aldermen at the same time, school policies, in many important respects, would be subject to direction of the council or aldermen instead of to that of the trustees.
Thomas v. Abernathy County Line Indep. Sck Dist,
In order for conflicting loyalties to be applicable, both positions must be "offices." See, e.g., Tex. Att'y Gen. Op. Nos,
[T]he determining factor which distinguishes a public officer from an employee is whether any sovereign function of the government is conferred upon the individual to be exercised by him for the benefit of the public largely independent of the control of others.
Aldine Indep. Sck Dist. v. Standley,
It is well established that, in general, an individual whose actions are subject to the control of others is not an "officer" under the test of Aldine. See Tex. Att'y Gen. Op. No.
The Acting City Manager shall serve at the pleasure of the Council and nothing in this Agreement shall prevent, limit or otherwise interfere with the right of the Council, or the City Manager, to terminate the services of the City Manager at any time, subject only to applicable provisions of the City personnel policies, and the provisions set forth hereinafter in the section titled "Termination."
Request Letter, supra note 1, at 2 (quoting "Employment Agreement" from city at issue). Because of the referenced "Employment Agreement" between the city council and the acting city manager, who serves "at the pleasure of the Council" and is subject to termination at any time, it is clear that the acting city manager does not hold an "office" under the Aldine standard.
We conclude that, where a city's acting city manager is subject to an employment agreement with the mayor or the city council, the acting city manager is not barred by the common-law doctrine of incompatibility from serving as a member of the governing board of an MTA that includes the city within its service area. *Page 3
An acting city manager who is subject to an employment agreement with the mayor or the city council is not barred by the common-law doctrine of incompatibility from serving as a member of the governing board of a metropolitan transit authority that includes the city within its service area.
Very truly yours,
GREG ABBOTT Attorney General of Texas
KENT C. SULLIVAN First Assistant Attorney General
ELLEN L. WITT Deputy Attorney General for Legal Counsel
NANCY S. FULLER Chair, Opinion Committee
Rick Gilpin Assistant Attorney General, Opinion Committee