145
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
146
tbtFnar,swut rtaslfswh
P semsd la erg Q11,county
urwnt per
lmlrn tsx-
hsrsiLnonsto8, s&all be m&s mitsbk to ss%d suthorlty
am tmwlu pr~~L&sd for unl6SS and until. SStclAuthOrlty
ahs~l hsrs first rs,aSfW8 s'raotb urAilie8 met64 or
&errics 8 great sria/erII.
‘lua &&¶/or se sdnms?asat or
sufftolent81x8 trln*rcn3ebly tosure tbs aorgrletbibuf
suahaGemZnstedsIY3 oooplotmaqstsr~ l.mlpr-at
on8 aof&r& ti the Colorsdu Alnr 5ad Its trib&srtis
thereto sub vrter thsrsaf:88 lay be spprws8 by tt18
Eosrd Gf u6tsr~ BnglraesW ur tlw %tsk of xwms, Suoh
garc9lb%.at.T.Youagblood - ssga 3
spprwsl tu be osrtti%ed to the C6mptrcillsr at the
otstsbgsetdEomd dYoter?&gluo8mi prwldsd,
hwewerS thst 8 legally birkdiagoomaitwnt froln
the United Statea VP Aw~l~8 folralpoheat end/or
loen eud/orsdvsmmasntshsllbs awwrusd 88 ths
avasivin& thsmoS~ .uahgnat.nd/ar laansnd/or
SdVSIIO(MlbEt tc? kS WSd fSr thS p~OS.8 iOX whlah
ssiC Authority vs. ameted, end ln sooadsws with
the J?rwL81ms 6f thco Aat, em the tsxes hamby
dgted,‘vl g~lnte8 shsll k uasd mlyto
Drl sdl/ar interest dum ttn said 9i3ied
st8ta Of-P wrJ.0. by rsssQn Q any 1Gsa sn8/ar
sd”nkaeat obtained Lo soowdmm~ vlth tbs pswl-
siotam of tw.8 MtJ em in the event no grslltsm/cp
Zaon sm3/sr edvaaawsat it3the Sum cb et Lssst Two
Nllltcm ($2,OJO,OW.OG) Dollam bra beea rooslved
by said Authceltr, as hrnln ooatrolplsted,w
Jaiausrgl,~J08,thsnthsg.1*ntsgd/ce domtlim4C
said tssss to @@Id Authority fl’cm ths Stsk cf ‘hxss
hOl’.iZl PpWkdSd f6T ShSll k tit Srd VOtdJ prO-
vIAma h
,Gv*vsr th
, stin th elvmtit
tb g r ea *l&
t l/ w
laud ord/orsdvs~~antfratb~Unitsd Stsks OF
Awrlos is not roostrob by Jsnuery 1, 131t8,811 c#
raIdImcwys, twthsr with soy sawwd llatersst
VmwxI, shsllbsby thsstsw TsuaswwCplsOsd 10
thsusnsrolAslmlrrrPum* xftbsgPaatsad/orloso
s~/crr~~aoornebr~~a~s~toshrU~ n-
ooivsd by said Authority trap ray de~rtwnt of
@weruwnt set up se 810 @gem7 by tb Unlkd Btstw
et hwrios, 10 Shall bs toQatmmd se hsvLng bssu m-
oelve8 frw the Bnlts8 8tstis of Amsriaa vithto ths
wsn.ll~gOp thl.aAot. It u expm**ly pctnaded, ba-
ever, ttamt tba fact thst suy prWi.lon of this ses-
tion wp not hem lmea Calm v&t& within tb time
or in the msmsr hsrsin rsqutrns, s&l1 not et say
tima ln~~llt30krSub-seotionR, Sseticm 2, but 8ald sub-
dlvlsion #bell nmsln in Cull ioms end elfact wtvlth-
StemLug.
Ywtio n 17-b‘ Aota 193tj,42kh ~gL@~@tw, Bsgulsr Sssston,
t’b&+iW 126, if. E. 77, mWibC?8 88 fGllW8:
149 L
Hemamble L. '2.Y-blood - P81P,6
I8RO. PPQjea Fetal wti- Alldamt# Zbat8tivr, Ad4ltLooll
rted Fedmel to d&m rllos8tIma to 0 let.
owt fW t&We1 8ftaP “s 18081
m8X’ lid? $Wr 2947
17 SIR Am@10 &8-
lP vo 1 ma
r 4fl4 64 ’
-rothwI~.i;r..&.$6,800,000
Ja -8 W45,lOO $e,OOO~Ooo Sb,!+,900
1!541bleed Gve?rol aat
of. -g15#yh
Cmg.,
EOFtb fill d8r kih get&B
OQQtirol,OOWWts 8$&11W8?,
lOW.8, flood V8118, 8ad
ch8Im.l lsapawmpnrrtr.
Puada 8m r+pulr*d fW?
oQnttr4wt0an OS the pm-
pWMfOI% iC& p18tu 8nd
5pIiUlf’fOieotiOW 8Dd f4P
lnitfmtlcc 4s aeastruotiQQ.
Tbr $n'ojwt vi.11psOvfd8
flood g&lw#atiaa few SW
Amlo end aubrt8ntL81 pro-
teotfon to tw vrll%f~ ce
thrrlc.verCcyho 8md CQlO-
r6dc.l
fiivolw,
RonorRhle L. T. Yowblood - Psga 8
accordance with the provlalons of the Flood Control
Act, approved June 22, 1936, as amended end eupple-
mented, IncludLay printing and bindi=, newapepers,
hwbooK6, boolcsof refererlce,periodicals, and of-
fice, SUpp1it38 and tHJti&UIJr-:nt
r8QUiZWd in the Office
of the Chief of l?ngineernto carry out the purposes
of this epproprlstlon, and for the purchase in the
flscnl year 1947, of not to exceed two hundred motor-
propelled peasenger-carz+yUg vehicles, and for pralim-
lnary examlnatlona, aurveya, and contlngencles in con-
nection with the flood control, $144,065,000. . . .
"Approved J4Jy2, 1946.*
This Department C0n8Cr~ea the prOViSiOII3 Of 3eCthiIs 17
anrl 17A of the Texas statute creating the Upper Colorado River
Authority, aa amended by 8. 8. 93, of the 4&h Leg., in the follov-
lng mt?nner: (1) Re@nning with the fiscal year of September 1, 1944,
The Stete of Texas donated end granted the Upper Colorado River the
ed valorem taxes opeclfled in the till. (2) The taxes $0 daneted
and gmnted shall not be made avslleble to said Authority, however,
until m legally bIndlag oommltment le received by the Authority from
ihe United States Qovernment of euffloient size to reaeonablg lnaure
the completion of auoh co-ordinNed end completed eyatam of lm-
provement end aontrol of the Colorado River 88 approved by the Board
of Water Engineers of the State of Texas. (3) If IIlegelly blndin(l
conuUtment in et least the sum of $2,000,000 is received by Jenu@ry
1, 1948, by the Authority from the United S%tes Sovernem@nt, the
donntlon end grant of taxes by Che Stste of Texas shell not be 0~11
and void but such taxes ahell not be mede Available to the Authority,
until a legellg binding commitment is received of e aufflclunt size
to reesonably insure a completion of the entire project aa specified
by the statute. The commitment for the entire project, however, is
not required to be received by Jnnusrg 1, 1948.
As evidenced t-y the action and leglaletion of the Congress
of the United States, hereinabove set out, through It6 offlcla3 re-
ports end Public Laws, there hea been an authorieation end adoption
by the United States Government of the lnltiatfon and completion of
the yen Angelo Rerervolr plood ControL Project whloh includes the
Flood Control project of the North Conch0 River. By virtue of the
provisions of Pu5llc L%iw379, 79th Congress. Seuond Session, H. R.
5400, there hss been a specific appropriation paeeed uy the federal
government for flood control purpo~ee to be expended wader previous
HoxioPableL. T. Youngblood - Page 9
authorieation of $144,065,0o0.00 and specifically deeigneted
for "San Angelo Reservoir and Floodway, Texas (In addition to
$40,000.00 allowed by House for advanced planning) $2,000,000.00".
It is the opinion of this department that the Congress of the
United States of America by virtue of its adoptlon of the said
Texas Flood Control Project and ite appropriation toward the
initiation end final completion of same has made to the War me-
partment an appropriation in at least the sum of $2,000,0~.00.
If before January 1, 1948, a contract or agreement is entered
between the War Department and the Authority whereby the War
Department commlts to the Authority the $2,000,000.00 appropriated
by the United Statea Government, we vi11 be glad to render an
opinion a8 to whether there Is a legally binding commitment in at
least the sum of $2,000,000.00 a8 required and contempleted under
Section 17A of the Texas Statute.
We do not say, nor do ve so intend herein to say, that
there has been a legally binding oonnnltmentaa contemplated by the
Texas Statute, by the government of the United States concerning
the authorlzatlon and finnnclng of the whole Flood Control Project
herein considered. This department's answer to your firat submitted
question is that a 1egalJ.ybinding conmitment in at least the EIMI
of $2,000,000.00 haa not been received by said Authority from the
United States Oovernment, a8 contemplated under the provisions of
Section 17, 88 amended by the 48th Legislature. The donation and
grant of taxes by the State of Texas ohall not be made available
to the Authority until a legally binding commitment 18 received
of sufflclent size to reaaonably insure a completion of the entira
project as set out by the Texas Statute. The commitment for the
entire project, however, Is not required to be received by January 1,
1948.
For the purpose Of .SiSVePing your second qUeStiOn, we quote
In part from eection 17A, as amended by the 48th Legislature:
II
. . . the taxes herebv donated and nranted shall
be used only to repay the p&.nclpal and/o% interest due
the said United S-batesof America by reason of any loan
end/or advancement obtalned in accordance with the pro-
visions of thla Act;. . ." (Underscoring ours)
WF th8nk the vording of this provision is explicit and
clear in setting out the exclusive pwposes for which the donated
tax moniee may be used; I.e., to repay the principal and the lnter-
eat due .theUnited States of America by reason of the loan or ad-
vaufiementto be agreed upon by the Director of the Upper Colorado
River Authority and the U@ted States Government. Our answer to
Pour second question Ia9 therefore, In the negative.
I
CbrSkF x. UlliWtI
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