Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

373

OFFICEOFTHEA=ORNEY GENERALOFTEXAS

AUSTIN

tang the oplnlon
rein reada in

tloneda~u~llyto eeoh 05
peoinotr of taaldCounty. That
lved fwa dlroetad valarea! tea-
e lfQerw5, flnets08 from My other
aeurce fixed by Lou wning, into the ROM and Brid$e
Fund of uid County ohaX be expendeddo provu3od
for by Jav, u.idshall not be trwisferred u&n
my clrcumstanCeI to 8ny othe fund, That oll
mcneyrcow lntotheRoad8nd &id&e lund aP
aaid County frozetiw sale ot bonds, or V(Lrr(Ultl,
rhall rpeclri~allg be lallo#atsdiQ2 e dOfinite
projectprfor to the Wthoritatiw or 111aws
-able X. 0. Ouvb~~ page P

tbrb0r. lla5t~5ad5l.lmoruysaau5nJwd5ad
into thb iwad and Bad&o Bund Of
h.re*rkr QaorLng
Ekxu Coi+nty, lncludlng those moaey8 rraoivbd from
direat twtlon, or Irw anly80uzobvhOt5ower,
rhsll be axpwidvdfor only thaw purpor58to build
uxluf.~tM.nRoads io&x~r Countyand 5ImrR55bl.5
~ttbsRo5dmdBrldyrPund iP5whr5apvo-
tit% preolMt, and rwh twds 5h8ll not k traw-
forrbd to w OthW f&U&dQP lWd5, OF to be wed
for any othbr pwpo50.~
%lr Con5tltutlon, &rtlOk 3, aao. %, pro-
vibs, aawtg other thfrigs, 'Tha Il0;slatwe da&l
no t,
lxo5pt 55 othrvire prorld5dLLIthlr Corutltu-
t1url,pass any loo81 OF lpeoiil l&w 8Ut+orialngl
regu&tiAg th8 affairsof OOUPhlN, ottia5,
io;n;,vards or who01 diatrJotr.' 'Andinnll
other oa8e8 uhbro a prural lav e4a be mndr apoll-
o8ble no lam1 OL"rpbai81l&v &a&l k ena&ed.
"&tioIe 8, tiot~on 9, of ttn Cwstltutiw,
vhioh pmvldw Sav tJw Xwyi4 of taxu for spwi-
fibd ywposu, amag othbr thug51
"'And the 34 ' mtarb 55~ pu5 z068i a~8 r0f
tha aNntoAan0. lr thb publlo roads usl hf.ghuey8
vlthout tha fowl notao. r5quimd for 5p5oUl or
leaal &va.'
%a43 supremb Gourt fn tha wsb of fit&t va.
Qutselt,Pbprtbd :a 201 s. Y. Rcporkr, *t peg5

an att t H~Athb yWt Of thb &gUktilrb by 5
5paGi51
“s11v to Pogul4te tha arra.raOS the eounfq
obich WI vlthlflthe lnbibltlonof Seation56, of
Art1c1s3 Of the CoI~utltutlon.
*IA thb &85, Of AWtln i&08. V8a kttO&, COr-
lQlrrl0nof Appbb15r 288 s. Y. at pagb la& the Bow-
tOA COWtg apbQid Rand &it, a5 t0 tha 5UpWVt8iOl%
 OfZ’Otirodl~OZttOAWAt M d~AditUXW Oih & dS,
usheld Unoarutltutlomla5 a *peal51I5v crgu&t;-
lug tha arfl8raof the county.
“In vlou OP th8 above &tlalas &ad the Conatl-
tutLOA5~d t& holding Of t& IlU&?Waa cowt iA t&o
aben 01t.d oaaaa you am r+qwated to randersol:
WUr OgiRiWU iOUh9tbUP @PAOtt& mt
to Ssetien lf3 of Chclg. l37 of S. 8. lo. 573, Amtr
oP the 42116 t~sbture, Regular Sessio~a, 15 opwa-
clve to prohibitthe trambier of funds, omlrg into
thoRoM.andBrLdga Fuad,to other fmda of the
aeunty. or, 1 8lwh so0t1on18 luraatIlIt1tut1mal
w&r the previ*iaD OP Artlola 3, kotfen %, OP
t& 8tAtO (lOA#t%tUtiQA?
* I
. . . .

Tha County Read &nd Brldy Fund propar 15 dar1r.d
fro* oeliuty tu85, autollr0biJ.e
regLrtmtiaJ% roea 5&i SlIMS 556
rafatwe5. rnlp05ltlonof that pation 0r 6he county road
&ml bridge fuad aonslatlng of aut~pbila rrgirtratlon fro5 f5
evermd by suticm 10 0r Article657~. t~Fzmn'5 Aaaotat8d
& IV&l Matuk~r. The pertllrcmt provlaiew af said aeation reti
as Iol&var
*
cr*t*o; th8 Resd and Bridge
gmvsydJto &$eythe salary or’ aaqwrwtien ai my
.er County Cwalaa%omr, but all emid
w rum3 far the oonrtrwtlan 8iadma-
toaa.nw of latrrrl re5da ia w.mh amnty under tha
8u~tv1514A of tb Gounty m&la5er, if t&or. be ome,
&Id if #IWe i8 A0 WMh 6~1IAWE, then th8 hl4tJ
Cor*LsaZonira' t%?urtawl1 have mehor1tg to mm-
Mnd the aUrioe5 OS the DlVlaloaPJl@auerof the
Stata il-rghvry Pqartwnt Pot tha purpose ai auper-
rtrlq the oonrtroGtlon and rwvo~~ny5 of lateral
rmd.8 1~ tholr rerp5otlYeccf2Atles.All fund8 5b
lowted to tb5 aauntie b* thr ,ror1510~5 ot this
Aat (Artiolw 6&75e-l to t 675a-f4j P. C. Art. 807~)
My used I‘M’ the COWtic
k iA the &ay#Mnt 0s Ob-
~3&ntlOn8, Ur Uy, 05aucd end %.tWaFFsd tA t&5 QQD-
StrWtiOA Of 02 the LA&WOVeB%At Of &.I PoQba, $.A-
o&ding State lii@*ryrof ruoh 5oUAti~s4Ad &*trfot.5
thersirrj
or thr fxqnxwement OP the mad8 seaqpPiaia(r
the County Aord srstem.'
 Tha 0~00 or stovoll0. shllroro,Cl*. App., 7fr8. u.
(2d)276, afflrnmd(Cola.App.) 103 3. U. (2d) 363, on page
367 of the latter ~pinlon, oontaln8 the tollovbng rtatomotito
with roapwt to tho above quoted nctionr
“Ao to thot portion of lutonobtlo regiotra-
tlon reta rotalnod by Vu Zandt Countyi Artlalo
667%~10, Vemon*o AnnotatedCivil Watuteo, lr-
prtoolyprovltlto how saw stall bo t.rtge~ and
r0r that rta.03 it lo obvious t&at AMiolo 6740
ho 0 no q & lo Atlc b n to o a mo . l . l

l
Byatlolt 2342 OS the Roviotdbtatutoo, it
lo providedt&at tbo ooveral oOll;iooioaoro, twtbtr
ulth the eouat JuQge,atall ooiqmot tho 'otmlo-
ofaAero oourt. T 8uah aoat is monlftotlya malt,
ud fo the a@tnoy of the whole oounty. The roo-
poot1vt oltmboro of the oa8a.oo:oAero oourt art
thtptftrt primarily repweentatlVe8 oi tho vhok BOUO-
ty, Urd AOt tbtrO4 rOp~OOtA~tivtO Of chtlr &WOptO-
tat pr00trrot8, m0 duty 0r ttb0 oaari80~0~r0 aourt
lo to transact the buoincroo, protoot the lAirtot,
and promote tho utlfut .er the oounty as a uhok.
Among tho powro oonftrrod upon owh oourt by uti-
eit 2x51 ut th0 ramlngt a0 p0mr to lay out
aad rrtablloh,0-e and dtooontlaut roads and h&h-
rays, the power to build br~ldgoo
ud kttp Tom 1~
ropom, and the owo~ to exerolo* gonwal ecatrol
over 411 roads, glgh VajlO, st#FrltO, urd brif@t0 iA
their oountlao. They have the ovor to levy ~8 tax
not to exceed 15 aento on the $s00 vrluationfor
rcmlo and brldgeo. Thlr fund is, of oourn, sor uio
benrrit or all roads amI bridgesor tbo aouaty.
!r&ot provloimo of tho lau, 80 uoll as othororbict
al&t be menticumed, olearly042ntwpl8ttthat the oam-
mloalwtro oourt of owh oountfshall ro@ard tha roods
a nd h ig h va yor
o th e ooulty 80 l system, to be k&d
out, ohngti, repdrecl, lmprovtd, aad rrLatalne$, as
tu 6o graatloal, 8o a UhoLo to tho best 2nttr~oto
and Vtlrwo OS all the pcopk ai the cowtf. It 10
oloarlyoontomplettdthat til mode aradbrhwo of
tho aountyshall be rpairatalned,ropolred,and iapror-
ed vhen rmtoo~y, as the aanditlonoomy rtqulrt,re-
gardltoe or the prcalwr la vhioh tams may be lo&Wed,
so far as the rundo rill equitably jwtiry.*
 As ior that portion or the Oottnt rod &d briaOr,
fug& aowlotlng as oount; taxes, Art101e 6 + 40, veraon’o An-
notRttd Civil Btotutea,povlaeor
‘Th6 0omioolaztero owt 8tall ate that t&m
road end bridgeluridor their oowaty lo $adlalouo-
4andequltab4oqmnded ~~tltt~o88o~~~~
Of th 6tiOOUAt~,ur d,
l0AOa r
ti 00O000itr 0r th0 ~040 wi pRlt, 1t ehll
bt expandediA eaoh OOUAty O~OOlOnerO
mOiJ0Ot
iA pP~tiOtt t0 th0 @RObtAt aollmkd iA lUOh PO-
slD6t. WWty UO6d iA bulldinp&WROtttAtrorrdr
ohA tirit be UHd odlp OA ilEO% CI@#~0Ad-&Aea
roads, ud OA theee vhloh Oh@= h4Vt the ri&ht Of
my rtttw0hd rrtt 0r ao8t to ~08~ as otoalghta
road u lo praotloablt md having the yeakot
boaw orrOr0d bg the oltit6Aoor aOIwy, labor w
otbtr pmperty.
Thlo urtltle lma hen ometmed by the C~,olm
0r App6ai00r th6 strt0 0r T~Mo. btwall v. & b ivms,
l0pra.
u0 quote theretrfm as r0uor0t

"It ~111 bo oburved U&M tbt mtlole la Quer-
t&w p~ovlbeothat Uao POM u& brlt¶gtttund #hall
be jrdlolouolymadeqult8blyexpen&d "tirade
aRtIbrag60 or t&t6aotmty,atoa,u
aoaditionenfsAtotooityor the ro848 tl It--h
ohdl be expendedin eaoh oouatfot3mleolofwre pre-
6iAOt iA ~OpWtlOtt to tht 8R@Wt Ml&d& %A
DUO&t &UVJQbOt. OUT eplnion,there lo obv%oua-
It.t
1y AOU ia thl0 UtiOh ohlob t-b th6 BOI-
mieolomro ootwt to t%lvlðe row3 m13 brl&e
iurpdaoaordlng to wy fixed nthesatlokl formul8,
Wd ~ppW6iOA OUO iA &but06 rOr tht pUEgMO Or
bd.ttg63tpdd in w gmt~ pt0ittttt. m6 tt06or
the word *expw&d* to our rInda am4 0Uggt~6.0
ul86 Sa l6 r umQ0sh a ll
k lpportlonedccd p8ul out
frcm tats to tfu u tho n6oeeoity rff 6boir uoe *
rrloto in tht ordltamy uhltalotr8ttoa CU tht ooua-
ty a r mir a . l . .

*~o tulth o tudiAg th is, th 6 0a tml00a eF 0 OQuPtl
give errget to mid artlo&
tottgt 6740 sxoeptwhat
 378

jioA~oblcE. G. abrvey,gsse 6

the nectooltleo or the roodo &ad bridges rwpU.ro
a dsparturelrolpit. That artiol6rtquireothat
the roed onb bfldgorundo OS all oowtlto o&W1
be judiolouolyand equitablyeXg+nded, It turther
roQulreothat owh ruadr &Ul, u ml as tho
oondition aud nmoeootty or ttao roule u lli w-t,
b elx p endain d lwh 8cm.imoiOnt~O ptwlmt b pm-
tlon to the mount oolleeted in ouab peolnot.
E dollittant purpooo oi this statute memo to be
to requlro thot the rood ud bridge tund &all be
lx p r ttdtd
iAuoh 8~OOlontrO plwi.AOt lA grO=
portlonto tho amountoolltttted therein. In this
regard the statute memu tht lmhpreeinotoh&ll
promo hole bo entitled to its an rota, an6 in
the absence of any reaocmo toOw, oontrary tbmy
should be so dividedatwl qmdtd. Houtver, the
duty to expend the funtIe in t&t6
proportionabove
moAtloAedlo AOt u3 AbsolutelyWlosfble OELII*
This 10 evutnt ha8 tht rut thtt tb tkaaant
pose o fth eltWtte 10 qucllifled to the uturt
p”” the oourt by ale8r mplla~tlon lo glve~ the
hat
right to expend tho road Md bridge fun& in & pro-
portionother then In the proptartfon IA whleh they
are oolleckd uhe~ tho owdltlottoor the &owls la
the rtopeotlv6 preo~laoto orebteo a Aeoerolt 00 to
do. We thhk, hwever, t&At the rewlsemont to
expend the fwl I.Athe pro$ortloAmentioned OaAAot
be *voidedemept lo eaoeo or omdltlmo of Aeoeo-
lity. or 00~86,tho 0olp~i00i~0 fmurthu th8
right to txeroiooits oouAd judgmnt ia det@rRitt-
lag the Aeoeoolty,but It oamet aot mbltrarlly
in regard to ouch Ratter.*

It vlll be noted that Iiowa 8111 810.510, lupr8, tx-
prtooly provMt0 *that All mosey rrom my lourae Whotsuever
Ombg into the rood end brtdgefwd ai Racer County,other
that those nontyo rtoelvod from dbeet ed valeremtwation,
8hll by tho ComlooioAeroCourt bo 8ppartlaolCL eqwlly to e(Ulh
ot the Coamloolontro prtolnctooi said County.' SaiA Att also
turther provides In tfreot that all wmeyo rootfvtd rraa dllreat
ad v8loremtw.at~oA,mwmobllo 116moe fees, tincamor for-
toltuceoor w othtc sowat fixed by IA* a into tho road
M bridge fund of oaid county shall bo eqmd -3 as proviatd
tor by law, and o&l1 not be trarurerredut&r my airoumot*lureo
jwxorablef. Q. Oarvoy,P*(Le7

to an other rund. k the roe6 uid bridge fund lo a ooaotltu-
tmtta I ruttd St is our oplniott that holding0r the
undu the
8 rem Court in the oaoe of Carroll 0. Wllllaao,201 a. V.
53 , the oorriaoionero~ oourt does AOt hvo any lo al author-
fty to tranoforowuo trom the rcaaeand brl&ge tUAS to auoth-
or to txpt ox for one purpose,tox mow rUoetl oo-
or,rktttd,
tuulbly r0r another purpose. fa otbu *ado, Lt -
us@ oourt aould Aot legallytranofermosey tram t$?%%
bridgefund to w Othtr fund notvlthatand&g the povlo~ono
of Houoe Bill lo. 510, lupra.
Relterrlzg to APtIole VIIX, 8tatloo 9 ti the Conotltu-
thn, it lo stated in tho mom of Auotln &others va Patton,
a88s. Y.182:
.
Itluthorloea tho kgiolature to pa80
low1 Go;d*lavor0r a Ceotrtotedpur
armenubot 0r th8 pubuo roads md
shown above, ow bupemv Court hao he
~&b, 'theurinte~~~~eotpublia rcnbl18' Inaide
the &yin& out, opening, aW oonatmtotlonof Ned
roado~.!Chtrtfore the authogty ootaftrrtd by the
ooartltutlonal amtndmnt e~rleo vlth it tbo right
to cegulatt the arfatrro 0r tho oouatf tay ia rueh
reoptoto as are aeoeaoarllyand lppr~lately oo*
neoted with or inoNenta1 and luboiWy to tbt
objeator ouoh limitedpewor -- the malntenanee,
l~oluttlag the layhag out, 0poIllry; and oomtrwtlua
ol public roo40. AOt lUthOPi&t tht
It dOt0 OUb -
traetlon, by looal or lpe6lallaws, oi pvtro tra
county aonlooloatroand the isomioolanero~ oours
aWtrret3 by generallava. It does not 8uthorl.m
a ohattge19 the rlnauolallyoten~OS oouatleo rlxed
by general lmo. It does Aot luthoefle th eOr ta -
tt0n or 0rri000 ukd tht 0208hmg or th000 orricer
uith fuuatlonoalready pwIormod b oslotlng ot-
rlaaro as provide4 tar by &tatral Lo. 5oAt of
these urn tneldentel oc neoeoo~y to the nlnten-
umo, lay@g out, owning, and oonotruction of reads.
It merely authorloeo the lpplloatlonof the tlm-
clal oyotenur4 the govtmoo&.al maohineryllcaady
existingto the aatlart authoplxedthereby. The
rirumei optem an& tho goveraaexxtal maohlncr~ al-
ready oxlotingus&r gwmral laws are ample ror all
 a wh la t1 v*itieaSf th.esaeadasint b edb eenla tend-
ed to nullify the alms0 of 8eotion !%i of ertlak
3, preaarlblng that the kgl8lNdre 8hould not pa88
any looal or 8gsoirl.l~ rejphtiaag the 8rf’atitrs 0s
~otmtle8, it would have bee+8 simple nmttor to
hata d&xlt&t,$tt the tl#a OS it8 8ubzai88loa,
'aad pr0vlde for tb urn&e-
mu& end OOntml &s?eef,*a8 n8 dofn ln the met&d-
ma t
l~th0riri~ t.h0hgi8btura to p0~id0 r0r thr
formation of Wmol dlstriata by spoolal lam.*
After OaPefullycotulderlq Xouae BilZ lo. 510, ruprs,
it Is o ur o p inio n th a tuld Aa t a a nno tb e 8wt8lned l a 8p w
@i&l ra8d &U underAetloleVIII, 9 ol the Constitution
8eotlon
b#Uuae none Of the polnrr Or restriotiona aonferred On t&8
aadssl0ner8~ court are beMental or rmaer8uy to the mun-
tenmae, l8* out, oproing, and oan8truotlon of roads. Xou-
lvw, o nth eo th eh th eAot 1 s
r a id, 8nattempt to sub tr ut tr a 8
the p o wer 8o f th e oOICII8aIone~8*a etwt p er td.nla to
g th e lx -
padltureancI8llw~tloaof tha roedawl bridge fund of tin
oeunty aonferred by ipneml lam.

It 1s our furtheropinltbn t&t Eouse BLU lo. 510,
lup n,violate8 Ar tlo le
XIX,Beotlon !j6 o ith eCeautitutlon,
So&lddlng the repuktion of aounty &fair8 by loa8l a rpeolal
. Therehre, ue are of the aplnlonthat said hat 18 un-
fonm;~m~i~ and so hold. (Bee the -8es of Aumtia Ekotherr
C, W Uller V* Zl PUO Gountr, 1% a. Y. (2d)
T orltier
l&IO,aad'aut alted thereb.)
Your8 very truly