.,
178
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
QROVERSELLERS
ArrORHcY
QKNNLR*L
Honorabla H. Pet Xdbwdr
Civil DIrtrio Attorney
Dallar Uountf
Dallas, Texa8
ATTBmzOllr Eonorehle wsmn 8. Qook,
A~lriotentMrtriet Attoner
n
Dear Sir8
We hate reaeivod
1946, relative to the
for the very able bri
It was oi great he1
qusetlons.
rise the faotr ad
inroad bonds for the
n pub110 roads rlld
lng rights-of-wep
r State and Federal Highways
In said Oountp, end eoqubing
ounty roads now or to bo here+
The elsotlon order llated
soosedr of the
ing parsgraph
muoh a8 the Olty or Dallaa haa reoently
extended its aorporets 15mit8 oonsiderabl and also
nweroulr towns have bean inonrporated, w hP oh inoludo
muoh ot the Improvement8 lterted by Dallas County the
Co~ty ia In doubt 88 to ita authority to expend &hla
bond money within the limits Of the BUlniOip~litie8.
8hall rppreolete your opinion at ycur
WCYe,~~~-$herefors,
earliest oonvenlenoe.*
179’ *.
Eon, ?l. Pat Edwards - Pap 2
The quo&Am8 rhloh you waut this departmmt to armwmlfare
a8 ;tollow8r
1. DQM a oouaty have the legal right to roqulro prtqerty
In an inoorporated town or oity far rtate highway purpooor by
oondemnrtlon?
2. Does a oaktO hate thi legal rig&% to 6oqairo property
in an lnoerporated tmm or oity ?or 8tato highmy prtrpooer br
purohru?
3. If the answer to either o? the rbove que88lon8 18 in
the o??lrmtlre, om tho 008t thereo? be paid aut o? the prooeedo
of the road beads aontilononsd in tho waoldt parqrap h?
4.’ I? qur8tioa 3 18 an8nrl*d in the aegatlve, what oountr
?ulldrEm3 tw 8a owu?
Thir departmeat had qtiostlon 1 before It in a reoon8 opinion,
o? which 18 herewith onolosed. ~~rrod
qPe6tlon ir answered In the negative.
T~nisg HOW to geur 8eoond quutlon, It la a general propoaf-
tlon of law that the jmledl~tlon 8ab omtrol over the r8mek of
a taia o o r p o r ao itp
t8Qo r to m Islxelaslnl~ in that oity Or town.
Artloles 1016 1066, 1201, and 1202, V. A. 0. 8. However UQQ~
this mesa thai the oousty under its general power to e&s&i8h
6ad maintain oounby roads till aever have the authorltp to eon-
8truot or impr~vo reads wlthln the llmlta o? a muniolpal oorporr-
tlon? Wo think that the oosu hold otherwlse.
Artlolb 6703, V. A, 0. B., glror the otxmi8sl0nera* oourt
authority and control over the county road8 end al.1 8treats and
alley8 ia oltirr and inoorporeted towns rhloh have no de faoto
munioipal gov~rnmeat 5.ntho aotlte disohargq o? their oifiolal
dntler.
In the lrrly OHM o? Bate vr SOEWII,18 ‘hr. S7l, (Ioa8e
firmly eatablirhed and olted m6nt tlaea, the Bapreme Court adopted
the oplaion of ahe lower ootart,uhloh in dealing Prlthoountg mad8
in inoorporeted &tie* .etated, in pertr
*rr.untilthe tovm oounolla~~r under tkm authorltr
oonferred by it8 charter, the gmoral authority o? tim
oounty ooart over the rubjoet mditer ooatimea to lriab,
rnQ my be oxerolsed, It 18 only when both bodies attempt
to sot ln opposltlon to, and in sonfllot with Qsoh other,
that the power and authority of oae muat oeam end yield
to that or the other, and In suoh a 8tate of thing8, I aa
of the opiaion that the authority o? the Oounty oourt mult
yield to that of the town 0oun0~1.”
180
Hon. B. Pat Edwards - Page 3
Whet i8 tbo import of tha above language? It 1s olmr to
that it moans that the oity
t8.I and the oountf mny uork together
with rapat to aounty roads ~4thin the city, and only upon a
aonflfot bbtwban the oity and tb, aounty is the authority @ the
oounty o verluoh roads done rway with.
The oourt in the oaM of &%th v. oathey, 226 3. ‘N. 158,
oonaidorad SubdivlaUon 6 ot Artiole 2241, tprnon'a Saylea*
Tore8 Civil BtStUteb 1914 (Subdiv.6, Art. 2351, Rsviaad ci~ll
St(ltutb~oi 1925), whidh daalt with the QQW~XS of tb ooBIpriaaion-
era* aaurt and provided as tollowat
"(6) To r~~erolee$eueral aontrol and auporlntondenoe
over all roads, hl&hwsya, ferrioa 4nd bridges in their
00untlea.*
The aourt hrd the following to my:
.,
*~f~rubditinion 6 ilr&ton p o werto lxeroiae
oontrol aud luperiatmdonoo OYU? all roads and high-
ways in the aountlar. This ir Subjeot to tha powara
usually Qraated to oities and towna ov4r streets, eta,,.
within ita limits, when lb ebooaea to take jurlsaiotion
and the oity or town am8 proper to exorolsa aooh powers.
Rut wham the oit or town do44 not dean It proper to
lreroiae lueh jurIsdiotlon, and does not objeot to,the
oount &roping up laah road or atrert, the oou~ty km4
the r i@at to do ao."
The oourt aited 3tiatsv. Jones, uupra, and quoted at length
rrom the opinfon.
Ta the ae44 of Bughas v, Uountp Uoamiseionrrst Court of
Barrio $tounty, 33 3. W. (2d) 818, the question hsforr the oourt
x~n tLu, lealltl of an egrrament between Earris County and the
City oi HoustQn ahereby the oounty‘agremd to eontribute $25,000
as iterpart of the oorf of widening and oth*rafee lmprovin~ Yala
Street, a oounty road whioh has boon taken in by tho Oitg of
Houston By extending its boundrrira. The oourt quot4b at length
from Stat4 v. Jones and snlith tr Cathey, aupra, and held that tha
agreement WIS ontiroly logel. Blr quote the Zollowil3gexoergta
fxom the opinion O? the Mt:
*Th county ha8 by ?irtUo of the ~XWI~IOXUJ of
the pAera lawa oi f,hiaState, as well 48 by the
Harris oounty looal road law, the right to expend its
funda in the FmpxovamsAt Oi a at&Wet WithiA the OOrpOr4te
limit8 of a oity which is also a pub110 road of the OOUAtY,
0~~00irrily SO v&en auoh improvwnsnt is done with the con-
#eAt aAd invitation of the Oitg authorltiea.
Eon. 8. Pat Edmrda - Page 4
l*fn the ease at bar, it la cot nooeaaery to
aaaum* an rbsonor of 00nR10t. tt 4pp44ra ltiixmatln-
1~ that there is lntlrlraword. 89 that ovea if it 8o
assume4 that thr pawar to exoroia ooatrol OIW a awed
is 4 neoeosary pradioata tor findcl6 authority to ex-
pfbnd oauntg fun68 la lmprovilrga tatr8rt--yhiohwa have
8houa la rat a* all tru*--tbo law am doolared that
Sueh'pow4r &*a ltiaii in t& Sounbf;71 la tcwporarlly
in lbepaocr 8o lane 88 the eltr oxarofara its right, but
0~011 Uad*r th4 g4asral 14~. rhor4 the oity naitra its
right, the gjemral power of the oountf la fully res%ored
sot3it may eaut?meooatrol and aupw~ntaadsnao over waya
wft4a the dty,
**Upon bhbrnbol4 84~. we S~O of bhe opfoioa that
y&w ecmdoatonerar oowt weld not hem authority,
wlthout tho oon8ent rad rapulrroenae 02 the olty oounoila
of the oitiea or tow.8 in th4 oouaty to oonatruot xoada
within ouch oitlra or time ualeaa ib might be in *
oity or iaaorporatrd towa & whicrhtram some uciuaa there
is not a de faato mualoipal overnataatin the activ4 die-
ohargo af thetb orPfloi41dotP 48." Yfo think, howaver,
that with tlm conarnt o? the 4itl oounSll8 theym$ght
aonatrual or 60-o m-at* in oonatruating roads through
auab tome or sib40s. t
*In Hez&a eountp bhero arc a dolti mmloipallbiarr.
If tha oontontiona of ooune81 ior 8pQ4llRRt,Rr4 oorr44t.
bh4 oountf of Harris Stead8 powrlesr to e~snd a dollar
on roada through aaoh aualoipalitlea. It would be acin-
sllrd bo leave gaps 1s irnortaat hlghwapa, evm t bough
f t is lr ulo ua
and able to L prom the *ema out oi its
road fund, allamm bhhaugb tbr muRl&mllby OOAoOrnOd
la uflliag 8nd anxioru it should do soI
‘The weight of authority sums to indiaate that
under the g8nimsl law the aountiea have the aonatitu-
tion4l 8nil8tatutory ponor to axprna th4ir ro4ikfunda
in th4 improwmenb of theL ~ocrda whioh 'pass through
4 munloiplitp, au% that thay have bh4 right to improve
auoh roads, though they be stneta of auohmuniai allties,
with the coneant of the munioipallti4a. State vb 0ones,
1.8Tex. S7br E#altb v. Cathoy (l’em.,OivrAyp.), 226~S.W.
1581 B44artt.,Bllaa Gountg (Tex,Uir~App.I,266 3?W. 540.
II
..III
li
,
182
,
Court ha& the iollowlry quratloa b~?op~ $t la
‘Our Suprrlai,
tha.0888 Oi CitJ 0f ~~Ok~DFid$~ V. StdphtN38UotInt~,40 3. W.
(241 '43:.
Wobar the Oonatltutlon aad law of thla atate
doer tha oonPniaalolura*oowt of l a o ua tyhat. the
authorltl to axpen& aountr road iunda fop tbm kprw+
mBt of tha atreata of lnoorporated oiticseaa4 towns
boat& in auah Qounty, where auah 8Qr eta arq ommWi-
lnglixik~, and $ntegrsl prta as counta9 road8 or atato
h.lghWj-89"
The wurt held aa tollowar
*Aftor IIoarefalilBtantlgUtla5 or the authozdtlel,
inaludir& the Conatltutlon rad lan ot this ate&e, we
have rawhe the ooaolu8loothat the ooamlaeioaa~a~
aourt dear hava lawful authorlt~ tompond oomty road
bead fund@ for the kapxovimrrnt or olty &meet8 where
8UOh StiWtr iQT8I:13tO@*l pgTt8 oi OOUBtJ FOld8 O?
mtatr hi@w I, rhea maah i OlbMBt# WI aad. With-
out oonfllstY ng with the fur 62atlan ef tha mu~le$ 1m
4f.i
ity, Of With it8 0OBEedt Or epprotal. sWtiOB 52, ct.
3, Teraa Conatitutlon~ State v. Jonear,18 ?!ex,874f
Smith T. cathey (~ox.dir.~ppg.l,226 9. S. 158,160~
Uainoa t. HeeljrUoartruotioa Co. (Tex.~l+.Agp.),242
S.W. J26,, $29 (wzlb rarused.
=Whrn the road bonds are toted by aa entire
oounty, the lneo rated oltlea aad tomu loaatml
thorain am oertaT IQ lnt4gal tta at the oountp.
ft,Wa n6t nroraatiry to arpreaar r PO rtatcrllrtJcm
oo~titutloMl prorlcion abora montirvhad. All tar-
able property@ a 6QUBty fr,aubjrot to tU8tiOB
for t&a payment of oount road bonds. Thr Wmm%l)-
alo~orr*‘eourt ha8 tha r 7gkt to axpsdd OouBtY r-4
bond.ruads on oouaty roads and higtbmm in aq pa-8
of tho oouaty. Xf I street of 1111 lnoclrparatodtown or
o:ty iorpLs a eonaeotlnglid In the OouBty ~066 Or
atrtr highway, we think it 18 a bOU?XtrFoad within
the a@&&% or tho statutes to the extent that OOUnjiY:
faada may be *gent ior the laprmrm)at thereof
w oowB4 the tom ok O* 6ot=n:n8 ward pa4=-:4
baa pa~&unl, jurl~aiotio~ of the atraet~ and high-va
tharwf, ana the ~~~&aalonera* owrt would have Ii0
authopity t,~l:~~~va street8 or hIghWe 8 within UUBl-
~:pdl:tl~~ in sonfllot wlth the jurisdfOtlOB of the
olty tb lltiprow tha a-. xowevm, au’111thqln~taat
oaae, w&we Mm improvement 1s XQU~*wlQh f&e Oon8*nt
01: approval of the elty we find rw 8tatutorV Or @On-
abltutlonal slllpedim*nt.In hot, wa think tha
aueopltlga above eltsd .fUlly EUh3lB the rl&t*‘”
Hon. B. Bat Edwards - Page 6
The OWxt quoted from the opinioa o? Siiete t. JQAW, rupra,
aad we rlah to rwiunpb*Eiso the ? ollo~rlaglreoaptt
wt ...It ir only when both bodibr rttempt be
rot ia oppoaitian to, End In ooa?liat with ~44
other, that the potrsrand ruthuxity of OM mat
06aaa onb ylold to that of tkr otlke, 8nd la aueh
a atate of thioga, 2 an of t&r dpfnfah that tha
ruthwlty of the Ooaaty Court muat ylald to that
O? the tOWB cb\iaoi~.‘”
%
Buaod UpOB the for*@43 authority, it la elrar to ua t&at
0 oounty may Bob pwohnar land la an lnoor oratrd olty ror h1+
war pwpoama if auoh purahsra aosfllota WI orirdlotloa
or the munsoiprllty; hewerat, it lo our oplnlon ? the olty
appmman, ooarrrmtato, loqUie~+368 ox ooopwatea la tha pumhma,
thoa thr oouat~ m8y pUr*lu88 the lead for woh pmrpore. This
riau is not inoomirtont with thhrholding that tE* rauaty may
not 00nam auah lea& The poww a? ooniIemn8tlon, I? prseeat
In thq oeunty, uarld b there m$axdlwa of oonaent or a~ roval
of the oity. 8uoh powor would ooarliot with the Jurlsdlog loa er
the 019~ OT~P its 8tXetttE$ thwofore, under 8apla authority thuro
la no euoh pawe? in tha oounty. But thsc, la *pcww to puxahaoq~with
the approval or ognneikto? the atty.
Aa ym aentlmt*d in your brief, oourtlsaaro prsoluded ?rcn
making any frPOrotrrainto? Bau&y roads which hare boon deaigaatad
aa state highwaya, axeopt the furnlahlag et rfght-or-way& Art-
lole 6674~6, Y.A.U.B., prorldw in parts
@t...Rofarther i3lpromsent of a uiblyatea a&*11
be mdo wlth t&o rid O? or with aa moaira iuralshad
by the OOUt$,l, ssoapt the @Oquf6I tfon Or Xi&t-Of-
ways *IOh may be tarnlahrd by the oountloa, t4kelr
rubdfofaorr or deilned reed di8triota.w
TOW ~oeablon* are, thsreror*, mawared Pa iolfowat
1. A oounty dew not hsto thelagal ri&t to aoquirr proper-
ty iB aQ inoorp6rat.d rlty er town fez stat* highffaypurpose8
by ooadmaatioa.
2, Eme~w, it map purohase auob laobe to? right-of-way
~UF~O~W for rtatr h&kiwaya I? tha oity or tom approvea, 60%
aenta, or agsma to auoh purohaue.
3. The prooeetla or road bond8 Issued ior auoh ptar~oeamay
be tared to purohaae auoh %?lght-Of-WWi. It it la sp00irw.t in the
prg-elg&ion order #at tha prooeade rill be spent anly OxIOWtsiB
n-d ~ghwaya, then the prooeeda may bo apent cm no other high-
waya, ?or guoh aprolfiaation la a part a? and a limitation OB th0
bond purpoeo t In Oplnloa Flo.O-J.190fhi8 departmrnt hold that
a oounty la without authority to 1~1~0va oity atreats unleaa auoh
lt,r etJtg
o o nr titu to l pa rt of thtt OoUiW road DJTlte% A OOPYoi
.
Eon. H. Pat Zdvmrds - Page 7
thi8 opinion ha8 alwhdp ‘iWanrorwarded to you.
4* Hot only may a&oh bond prooscds ba usrd to purobrsa tha
right-of-ways, but also any appropriate road funds may ba so used.
It ia amphaslaad that the oountp baa the power toIniwere~o
euoh land only ror oountp or state hl&hwey purpoess.
s.ords,the eountg has no power or authority with rsspsot to olty
streets M&ah QW nob pert or the oountp ro&@ or state highwar
rgrtem,
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion