Vela v. State

572 S.W.2d 128, 1978 Tex. App. LEXIS 3780
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 12, 1978
DocketNo. 1398
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 572 S.W.2d 128 (Vela v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vela v. State, 572 S.W.2d 128, 1978 Tex. App. LEXIS 3780 (Tex. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

OPINION

YOUNG, Justice.

This is an appeal from an election contest and quo warranto proceeding which were consolidated for trial. On April 1,1978, the City of Hidalgo, Texas conducted a general election for the office of Mayor. The votes were canvassed and Eduardo Vela, the incumbent, was declared the winner by a one vote margin over Enedina Garza. On April 28, 1978, Ms. Garza filed an election contest in the District Court of Hidalgo County, and served Vela with notice. Vela, as con-testee, did not file a bond under Tex.Election Code Ann. art. 9.09 (1967)1 within 20 days of notice.

But, on May 19, 1978, Ms. Garza, as contestant, did file a bond as provided for in Article 9.10 and the District Clerk certified these facts to the Governor’s Office pursuant to Article 9.11. The Governor, then on May 23, 1978, issued a commission appointing Ms. Garza to the office of Mayor.

Vela has refused to relinquish the office of Mayor. As a result, on May 31,1978, Ms. Garza and the District Attorney filed a quo warranto action to remove Vela from office. Whereupon the election contest and quo warranto proceedings were consolidated for trial.

Trial was to the court without a jury on July 6, 1978. There the parties stipulated, and the court agreed, that the April 1,1978, election was void in that it was impossible to ascertain the true results of the election. As to the quo warranto proceeding, the court held that Ms. Garza was entitled to hold the office of Mayor until a new election is held on December 2,1978, or at such other time in January of 1979, as is provided by law. Vela appeals. We affirm.

Appellant brings forward six points of error. Points 4, 5 and 6 challenge the constitutionality of Articles 9.09 through 9.12. Appellant also contended in his oral argument before us and in his reply brief that he received a defective notice of the election contest. We need not consider these points and defective notice allegation, though, because the record shows no pleading or presentation of these defenses to the trial court. These contentions may not be raised for the first time on appeal. Rule 373, T.R.C.P., City of Kingsville v. International Ass’n, Etc., 568 S.W.2d 397, (Tex.Civ.App.—Corpus Christi 1978, no writ). We will therefore consider only appellant's remaining points 1, 2 and 3.

Appellant’s point 1, in substance, contends that the trial court erred in granting the Mayor’s office to the appellee because the appellee never received a majority of the votes cast at any election. In support of his argument, appellant cites Wood v. State, 133 Tex. 110, 126 S.W.2d 4 (1939), and other cases, which state that one may not be seated as an elected official until it [130]*130appears that he has received a majority of the legal votes cast at an election. We hold that this rule does not control the present case.

Municipalities are political subdivisions of the State, and as such, are subject to the Constitution and general laws of the State. State ex rel. Burnet Cty. v. Burnet County Hosp. Auth., 495 S.W.2d 300 (Tex.Civ.App.—Austin 1973, writ ref’d n. r. e.); 39 Tex.Jur.2d Rev., Municipal Corporations § 112 (1976). In this regard, the Legislature enacted an election code which controls the manner in which municipal as well as other elections are conducted. The Legislature’s intention to govern all elections is manifested by Article 1.01 of the Election Code which provides, in part:

“. . . the provisions of this Code shall apply to all elections and primaries held in this State, except as otherwise provided herein.”

Articles 9.01 through 9.38 set out the provisions for contesting elections. Article 9.01 states:

“the district court shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction of all contests of elections, general or special, for all . municipal, . . . offices, . . . ” (Emphasis supplied).

Article 9.09 provides in pertinent part:

“Whenever the validity of any election for an .officer other than the Members of the Legislature is contested, the contestee shall, within twenty (20) days after the service of said notice and statement of such contest upon him, file with the clerk of the court in which such contest is pending a bond with two (2) or more good and sufficient sureties, payable to the contestant, to be approved by said clerk, in an amount to be fixed by said clerk, and not less than double the probable amount of salary or fees or both, as the case may be, to be realized from the office being contested for a period of two (2) years; . . . ” (Emphasis supplied).

Article 9.10 then provides:

“If the contestee fails to file the bond as required in the preceding Section [art. 9.09], and within the time therein prescribed, said clerk shall notify the contestant immediately of such failure; and such contestant shall have the right within ten (10) days after such notice, to file a like bond payable to the contestee, . . ”

Further, Article 9.11 provides:

“Immediately upon the filing of said bond by the contestant, the clerk shall certify in writing, and under his official seal, to the Governor, that the contestee failed to give the required bond, and that the contestant has given such bond in accordance with law.”

Finally, Article 9.12 provides:

“Upon receiving such certificate from the clerk, the Governor shall issue a commission to the said contestant for the office in controversy pending such contest; and thereupon the contestant, upon qualifying in said office as required by law, shall exercise all the rights and powers and perform all the duties of said office for the full term thereof unless it shall otherwise be determined and ordered by the court upon the trial of such contest.”

The above language manifests a clear legislative intent that the bonding requirements should apply to all contested elections, not specifically exempted, involving officers for which there is an ascertainable salary or fees upon which the clerk can base a bond. Compare Gonzalez v. Garcia, 352 S.W.2d 913 (Tex.Civ.App.—San Antonio 1961, no writ). We find no exemption in Article 9.09 for municipal elections. Moreover, Article 9.09 expressly excepts Legislative contests from its provisions. This exception discloses a legislative intent that there should be no exception other than that expressly provided. State v. Richards, 157 Tex. 166, 301 S.W.2d 597 (1957). Accordingly, we hold that the provisions of 9.09 through 9.12 apply to the municipal election contest herein.

The appellant argues on the other hand, that the Governor’s commission, in [131]*131effect, declared the appellee to be an elected official. If this were so, it would be contrary to the general rule set forth in Wood v. State, supra.

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Bluebook (online)
572 S.W.2d 128, 1978 Tex. App. LEXIS 3780, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vela-v-state-texapp-1978.