I'~~EATI-ORYEY GENERAL
OF TEXAS
Eonor8bl~ c. 0. Xendenhall
County Auditor
Chrmberr County
Anahuao, Toxar
Dear Sir: opinion l&e O-6401
Xe: (1) Is it requ%r*d that thr dutier of
th* County Auditor of Chamkra Cour~$vb
lxtondmd to the Chambera-Librty County
Havi ltier District)
f 2) Ear the County Commi~elonsrr of
the Chambers-Liberty County Navigation MI-
triti authority to rot the bnd af the
County Trramner at an amount 1~s than
doubla a# rat forth thorolat
Wa ham rooolvod ud oonrldeird your requert for a~ l piaioa .n the
above mattar*, raid rmquaat nadiag aa followr:
‘Therr ham rroently brra orgaaltad im t hir aad part of
Librrky County, the Chambrrr-Llkrty Countirr Bavigation Dia%,
lndtho petition to tho Canmirrionorr Court rotr forth that rmne
till k organisod Tudor Chaptor 6 Aotr 59th Lsg, Regular Boalion,
1926, Artiolr 6266h. Aad looordlmg to Vornonr Statuter thir la
part of Chaptrr 9 draliag with avigation dirtriotro Beforenor
la alao made ta 6ao. 69 of Art. 16 rf the Conrtitution.
W nuld like rory muah to harm axawarad tb hlledng
quogtioar doallng with thlr dirtrid:
“II it required that- th@ duties of tha County Auditor k
lx to ndotothir
d dlrtriot, and ho b rrquind to imporr thm
thorooat
“Ear the commlsrionerr i~this dirtriot authority to sot
the bond of the County Tnaruror at an amouat lerr than double
at ret forth therein?”
Artirle 6266h of Vormor’a Annotated Civil Btatutor refarrgd to ly
you was pasomd in 1926 a8d, ri8.0 maid Artiola maker BO roforomoorhtmr
to the 8orrloo# of a’county Auditer foi lhvigatio8 Di#trlotr oreised
under itr previrionr, it ia neoorrary ta look ti other rtatutao garorning
ruoh dlstrlrtr.
Artielo 826Sa, Sootion 2, of raid statutea, rhioh was parrrd in
1929, oontaiar the follodag provision: _
Hmnorablo 0. 0. Wdraball, -68 2 (O-6401)
.. . . Thor0 hmi8g 8-o quortioa a8 to the vor8
rdorrrd m l*riptiom Dirtriotm odor the d.lffrr*nt A,rtr
horokfom prrod, it 18 horobydo*larod tlmt all hlga-
tloa Mmtrioba, horotdoro 8natod or honaftor ta bo
oroatod, under lqr of the Arta of UN bgir1atux-aa&hoe
lriag Ibo *mat188 themof, ham ud @thlr bt arm granted,
ud rhall hmo Ul th8 powera lo a fo r rly o ArtiUor,
d 8229,
8267, 8266, 6269, 6240, 8241, 0242, 6246. and 8246, Tltl*
126, 6u+divieir~V, Chapt*r 9, Eootla 2A, R8vl**d Civil
Statutor rf 1926, and a11 aam&mftr Choirto, ngardl888 of
whothrr or m*t than 18 a 8ity of 100,000 ixhabltart8 lr
mor8 rlthia thr boundari** of raid Mstrl&, and all Aotr
lf raid Dlrtrl8tr hotitof*r8 8xsrrlrlag lxy of *u*h pewerr
lr o h o r o b yv8lldatod. . . .’
,
&rtl*l* 8246 li raid *tatut** rradr l* follomt
lSuo h laamirrioarrr may mpluy rush porrozra# they may
drm nrtorrrry for th8 ornrtrurtioa, maintwanoo, qwatlo8,
ud drrelrpn88toftho kviptioa ~rtrht, it8 bu*i.m*** aad
farilitiir, prrrorik their dutior ud fix th*lr oompauatloa,
ad th* County Auditor, a8 Auditor for rush Swlgati*a Mrtriet
harlmg Cargo p8rt fa*ilitior, lhallmako ruoh additional n-
port8 md p8rf.n~ 8uoh *ro*umtiry 8orri888 18 ldditi*8 to thorr
sow rrquirrd ly lm l* may k roaroaablr laoidrat tr thr pnp*r
amduat of the burin888 or 8u8h dlrtrl*t*, $oridod th8 oompa-
ration of thr C*unty Auditrr wh8 *hall *8t h*rruador ud thr
pmirlomr of Tit18 64, 6ubdlvirion 2, 8hUl k fimd aad dr-
termlnod by fhr judge of thr Dlrtrirt Court or oourtr having
jurirdl8tlon la raid rouaty dtor duo howimg dth rorpoot to
tb am& ud valw of the mrv’iao~ prrfmmd, vhioh amout
8hUl'k paid a8nthly frr th8 fwdr of *aid Eavigatioa MI-
trirt, ud f'urbbr providedthat +&IO maxi80 8aouat whi*hr*y
k all8nd %y raid Dlrtrlti Judgor for arid rrnlrrr *hall let
loood thr mount now king pUd.”
It till k aotrd thnt &tie18 8246 pravldrr tht *the County Auditor,
a8 Audltrr t*r mob Ilrrigatioa Dirtriot hariag larg8 port f*olliti**,* *hall
p8rfwm lortain mood dutir8, ud hi8 rrparatioa thotrfor *hall bo fiad
by l*rtala dirtrirt judgrr mdrr thr rulrr thordr laid drr, hrt raid pm-
ririrnr vo too uaaortUm ud lndoffnitr ta bo of uy foror or ofhot for
tho i*llniag roa**ma1
8ai.d prorlrirr do r*t at forth rhothortho County Auditor *hall
prfom th8 r*rri*o* mmad aly rh8mth*,higatlom M*tri*t har large
port farllitior; it I* not mad8 ol**r rl*th*p tho County Auditor o8a l Uy
p8rformtho lddlUoxU *orrl~* ramod itter h8 had k88 8-d am Auditor
frr a hvigatior Dirtrirt harlaglargo port farllltl*a~ it ir not *bona'
B)u.r8bl.C.O.Yado&mll,hy 6 (0164Ol)
whiob l ouaty auditsr BhSllbo oallodupoato prf*a muohadditiorl *or-
rioor whore the higatien blntriotIt rrporod of two ootubiec,c pot-
tiaa of tr rouati*r; tb 8.~18.8 to k p8rfrnrd 8r8 rpoalfied am nporkr
ud lroountlmg rotioor in addlt:oa t8 thoronw r8quind w l*r as rry b
rouonahly boldoat te tk propor l8aduot of the ~8lmo~r 8f raid d18trIot,
but it It not aado rlur what law gonrmr tho roporta ud luo umting aor-
rlror m8w roquirrd by lam; that 18, whothor %h8 law gomnlag th* 6oaerrl
dutiu d * oouav ludit*rit roferrrdto, lr+hrthor it la *ao law which
ham to do only with u auditorfor 8 Iavigatia Dirtalo4~ tha l rpoautioa
tx tm paid for~suoh rorrirrr it to k fiad and dotorriwd by tb judgo lf
tho Diatritt Court or court8 having juriodiotioa la said oowty, but ruoh
emmpsnratiom is f*r 8 6ounty Auditor who ahall lbt umdrr thr pr8visioar of
said Artiolo 8246 andtho pr~lsions of Title 64, bubdi~isio~ 2, th8 appli-
oable portion l f+dxiah 18 Art1010 1687 lf V*rnoa18 Ammtatod Civil Matutm
ud road8 as follmr
*Ia all ooumtiar whioh have or may hair a Cmmty Auditor
and r*atr1aiag a populati*n of lao humdrodtom thouraad(110,000)
ore more, 88 thorn bp the pro8eding ?*donl Cams, rad ia Pl
8ountlar havlag a p8pulati.a of n*t l*ar thu thlrty-oight
thourud (S8,OOO) nbr mora thu thirtp ht th8usand throa hue
drod fifty (SB,SSO)., looordimgto tbo la* 'e Fodoml Coasur,ati
iawhiah r*uat188 thrrr 8xirta 8r ia whir6 two may k lr o a to d
lq impmmmont, mrrlgatioa, draiaago, or rud or Irrigation
dirtriot, or say rthor lharaetorof dIrtri& baring for ita pur-
poao ths rxpmdituro lf publir fuadr f8r imprwamsat purp8800,
8r for lmprowmomtr 8t uy klad whoth*r dorimd frmtho irauur*
of br& or through w lharaotor of 8poolU a##*s~zt, th8
Couaty Auditor ahall lraraiao ruoh oatrol over th* fiauoor of
laid dirtriot *a huoimdtor provided.*
It dll k motod th*t raid kfiolo 1667 lppli*a l aly la rou8tior
hwimg a population of 110,000 or ~or8 a8d, 81888 tho tatal p8pu.lati.a of
the ooumtlr* omp8siag tks lkvl@ior Di8tr18t rofrrmd t* la y8ur roqu*+t
la l aly 32,062, am ohm bg th8 F*d*ral Coarur of 1940; raid 8tatutr doom
not apply to uoh &vig*tioa Diatrlrt. Ilaid Art1rlr 8246 la furthortoo
umoortal~ 8nd itiofimlte as to tho amouat lf o8mpomaatioa te k allowed for
suah s*rv1ror am it proridar that tb muir\ar amoust #hall not axaud the
amn maw king p&d, but it door sot mot i*rth *v rrltrrio~w rhlsh raid
8m*urt au b dotrlalnd;~thatl8, whore any aaou8t la n8w botig paid, to
whom or v *oat. B*rid*r, thor8 la aothiag ia arid strtuk that will apply
rpooifloally to a iowly lroatod higatioa Dirtriat m8h am yea rofurod
to la your roquort. Thon~bimg w ether atatutorth al t
ttrpt to prorido
th* rom1oor ri a rmaty auditorfor 8 Hmigatioa Distri8t auoh am that ,
rotorrodto ia your roquoat,ud Art1010 8246 blq too IadofiaiC ad
wo o r tdm to b lf.uy fores ud lff*ot, it 18 o ur lpiaioat&t your first
quostioa rhould k, aad it la, umrad la thr aogatirro
muorablo 0. e. mmd08hU1, Rgo 4 (e=MOl)
~1.1. 8262h, 8.8M.B as, i8 la part am f0118n:
“The oouuty trmaurrr #hall lx*outo a pod and suffi-
oiomt bnd, pyahlo to the navigation ami o8nal cplllssioa-
or8 of much distriot, In a als lquU b trioa the muwat of
furdo ho rill ham in him ham38 as troarwr of such district,
at 8ny Umo as latlaatod by said navigation and canal comnis-
lionars, such bmd to bo oonditicaod for the faithful per-
fomanao of his duties as troasuror of much district and to
bs approved Iy maid navigation snd canal cmmissionor8~
provldod, khsnowr aw bonds aro voted by such navigation
diatrl8t th8 oounty treasurer before roooiving tho prooooda
of sale thoroof shall execute additional good and suffici-
ant bDnd payable to the navigation and canal camni8sioners
of ruoh distrirt la th8 am equal to twiae ths am8uat of
bend8 88 isNed, whioh bud shU1 liko~so k oonditiomd
ud 8ppr8wd am lforoaald, but rush additional !nnd shall
B& to rguired aftor au& treasurer shall h8w prop8rly
dirIurrod tha pro88odr of suoh bead issue . . .’
The pravirionr of thir rtatuto roquiro thr bond of a county troas-
ur uk b sla a na mo unt lqtml to twie8 the Mount of fund8 ha mill haw in
his hand8 am troasuror of said distri8t, at any tim8 latismtod by said
navigation ud o8nU oonmisaioaor8, as rnll am trlw tho mount of bond8
to be irs\nd by the dirtriot; therefore, it is our opinion that you sooond
question rh8uld be, and the ama is, lnaw8rad in the nogatiw,
Trusting that thir 8atitfaottorily la swo r a your inquir, wo remain
Very truly your*,
ATTOFUBY GENW CF TEXAS
Ey /a/ Jam. 8. Baasott
Jar. 1. Bassett
JIIB/JCP,ogn
APPROVED FEB 26, 1946
/a/ cARlO LSRLEY
FIRST ASSISIAWT OpiniF~ttoo
ATTORNEYGLWRAL By BtB Chatrmsn