Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

The Attorney General of Texas ’ January 28, 1982 MARK WHITE AttomsyGeneral

KonorsbleKercus D. Tcylor OpinionDo. KU-b32 CrimiaclDistrictAttoraey Wood County Courthourc UC: Legality of fire chief P. 0. Box 689 serving as a city council Qaitun. Texas 75703 member for scat Soveraoantsl entity

1507 Maln 01, Bun* 14m Dcsr Kr. Tsylort kiln. tx. m2al 2lu742d5u You hcve requested our opinion regcrdlng the suthority of s single iadividuclto serve es both fire chief snd city councilmsmbsr of the city ofW~ntreboro.You state thet the individuslhsa refused compeasatioafor his ssrvicss se fire ebisf. You also ask If the lndlviducl’staking the osth of office cc e memberof the city council operstedipso facto as s rssiSnctioafrom the firs dcpartmcat. 1220 DalIem Ave., Bun* 202 Nowmthtx 77002 It is vell estcblishcd thst oae person ‘msy not hold two 71- incompatibleofficea. Attorney Genersl Opinion E-665’(1975). Two offices are ineoqctible if their duties arc or uy be Inconsistent or in conflict. State v. Kertia. 51 S.W.Zd 815 (Tat. Clv. App. - Ssa Antonio 1932, v-, Attoresy General Opinion H-665 (1975). Article 1069,V.T.C.S.,providesin pcrtincatpwt:

The city council mcy procure firs cagiacs sad 009 N. Tenth. BitIt. B other appsratus for the utinguishuat of fires. McAlkn, TX. 75501 5wm524m7 sad hsve coatrbl thereof, and provide caSiac houses for prcscwiag the scmc; cud shell hsvc pwcr to organize firs, hook end lcddcr. bosc aad 200 M&l ewa SUIU 400 sa compcaicssad firs brigades. The compaaim so 5m &Nmlo. tx. 7m205 orpsnircd,the chief 8aSiaeer sad such cesistsnt 512/2254151 engineers se my be provided for, shell constitute the fire dcpsrtmsat.... The ca&accrs shell be chosen cs ssid dspsrtmsntmcy datermine,subject to the lpprwel of the city couacll. uho shsll define the duties of scid officers end pess such ordinsacesls they mcy dca propsr for the vclfsrc of scid dcpsrtmcat.... Scid dcpcrtwnt sbsll take the csre end managemeat of the l rrginssend other implements end sppcrstus provided md used for fiShtiIISfire, sad their pwcrs sad duties shsll be prescribed snd definedby the city council.

p. 1481 HonorcblcMarcus D. Tsylor - Pcge 2 (IS+432)

Article 1069 clcsrly Srcnts to c city council "control" of c fire depsrtmcnt. The depsrtmcat'spowers and duties arc prescribedby the council and the council is cmpwcrcd to cnsct ordiasaccs for the rcgulstloaof the department. You state that members of the Bi'nnsboro VolunteerFire Dcpcrtmcatcrc pcid c smell sslcry by.ths city council.

In Letter AdvicoryNo. 114 (1975).this~officcheld that. bccsusc of the doctrineof incompstibility. c school tcccher is iasliSiblcto, ssrvs se s member of the bosrd of tructsscof the districtvhcra she is employed. The opinionnoted thct school tCSChSr8:

crs sccouatsblcto the school trustees. are under their domiaioa.cad are subordinstc to them; cad trustCss my interfere with the teechar’s performsaceof duty.

Letter Advicory No. 114 (1975) relied on c Wyomia~ ccs~, Wsskias v. e, 516 P.2d 1171 (Wyo. 1973). to support its coaclusfoa of iacliSibility. It slso noted the dccisioa in Tbomca v. Abcrnst~ County Line IndcpcadcatSchool District. 290 S.W. 152 (Tea. Corn''' Appp. 1927). that the offices of school trustee end city cldcrmca src incompstiblcuhcrc the bocrd of cldermca uercisca vc&us directory end supcrvisooqwvers uith resard to school vroucrtv sad the duties of school trustc;s. Sac slso,-Eblinscrv. C&k: 8 S.W.2d~666 (Tu. 1928).

In our opinion,Lcttsr Advisorytie.114 (1975) is disposltlvcof your inquiry. As ia that opinionand in Thomas. the city councilhere excrclscs control over the firs depcrtment end its mcmbcrs, cad prcscribcctheir duties. As c result.VA believe tbct the positioas of city couacllmcmbar end fire chfcf crc incompatibleas a mater of lw. In vlw of our enevcr. vc aced aot cddrccs say other issue regerdlngthe holdiaSof dusl offices.

Ac to the qucction of IPSO facto resignctioa, Texas courts have held thst vhsa the holder of one office lcccpts end quslifics for s second, he sutomctiosllyrcliaquishcsthe first office. Thomas V. Abcrncthy County Line IndependentSchool District.m; Ceatcrrov. Ins~lmcn,519 S.W.2d 889. 890 (Tex. Civ. App. - San Antonio 1975, a0 wit).

SUMHAPY

An individucl uy aot scrvc cc both fire chief end city council mcmbcr of the city of wiansboroby virtue of the comon lcv doctrine of incompctibility.A pcrcon vho ccccpts the office of city council member sutomsticsllyresigns se fire chief.

p. 1482

l _*‘. t HonorsblcHa r c w D. Taylor - PCgC 3 (nw-432) “.

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NARK W E.1 T E Attorney Gcasralof Texas

JOHN W. FAINTER.JR.' First AssistaatAttorney Gcacral

RICHARD E. GRAY III .ExccutivcAssistaatAttorney Geasrd

Preparedby Rick Cilpio Amietant Attorney Gcnsrd

APPROVBD: OPINION COMl4ITTEE

Suma L. Garrisoa,Chairmaa Joa Bible Rick Cilflia Jim Moclliagcr Peter Nolan Bruce Youngblood

p. 1483