Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

’ OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN County Auditor r.. in. Herr18 County ,.t',:r~ %ueton. Texar Se ham pour let "On Septeaibar an exeoutlre orbar, ated the Of- floe of Ztzo~aboy Man 6 aotual oreafioa 9 an ada\lnia- Offloo of Clrilian l4 the Oo~smorm o? the or8 or Cuor4lmtora of n their 8ereral iStates. of the legal si$hts and resgon- a~partsfniag tomeh pasltlom.* 'Ihe quote4 language le taken from the far% of aom- mi~slon IssueU by the Governor. %Q far lI I am infommd, the Gaveraor has not isau~d rpooiric proclamations or other ln- struotfons authorizLng or 4lreobing the Tarlous mordinators appointed in Xarria County to adopt Honorablr B. L. I%*hburn, cage e the plan for olrillan 4afenae whloh hea bomn pleoe4 In effoot by a tentative an4 aomwhat : . looao agmement among the aeveral Coordinators appointed In Barr18 County. The County Judge an4 the Kayur of tha City of Houston, as the appointed Coordinator8 of the two largeat gorern- mental units fn Harria County, have entern4 in- to an egmement with the &a~ors of the other munlclpelitlea, by whiah Colonel Tke Aahburn wla appoint& Dlreotor of Clrlllan Lmfenae with general authority to aoordinate such defense aotivltles In Earrla County. Aa I understand the present arrangesent, each of tha muniolpal- ltlea lnvolre4, wlth the exception of the Coun- ty of Harris an4 the City of Houston, propoaea to diraot all of It@ OnB ex~emditures deter- mined by It to be neosacarp in oonueotioa wltb ths defense aetivftiea. It ia further Froposed hy the County Jud&e and the &:a~or that the Coun- ty of Harris ac4 the City of Houaton shall eon- tributn fuund.sfor the support, opsmtion, an4 wintenanoe o? the Qffioe of the Mreotor at Cfviliwn IIsfensa and to dafray the expanses whlah are sat forth ln~ the bud&et submitteb by tha Clreotor of Mvllian Deferuse, a oorg of whiah ia attaahed. Ranemlly, the type of ex- pendltum propoaed oon6lata of the esplay~~ent of the neoeraary pemonnel, outlays for tsle- phone llnea, expenditures and, maintenanoe of siotor epulpment, and the pumhaae 0r warning signal8 to be installed an4 aalntalned by the Eireotor. *The auggemted method or opsmtlng the Cf- rioe er the Diraotor of Civilian Pefenee, and the aativtties which will be enrrled on uu4er his dfrsot%on and supervision, le by dlmot f lnanoial oontributlon, or, eltsmatltel~, by the oontribution of equipBent, pemonnel, and aupgllea for the operetlon end oalntenonoe of the civilian derenae setup. This, therefore, immediately miaea ttls question of the author- ity or County orricera to contrll.uts fund8 r0r this purpose, OP the 1BndiWJ Or BmplOyBe8, SUP- plies, and equlplaant. Tha proposed oourae or aotion pmeenta to lag mind the fo1lowI.W quea- tiona rhlch are reapeotftily 8ubmitte4 to you rOr 4ete25htian: ‘..>.I Eonorablo R. L. !c‘aahburn, Pago 8 "(1) Yay the kunty legally oontrlbuto to tha support and maL~teaanoo 0r the ofrior 0r tha Qfreotor or Civilian Defenao of Harris County money from its fisnaml Fund, or its Road and Bridge Fund, or both, for the payment of the type of oxpenaea outlined in the budget aub- mitted by the Dlreetor of Clvlllnn Defense? "(6) If the Oounty and its orrloers hove. such authority, mar the Count9, lo tluthrough g the Waulaalonera~ Qourt, enter Into a joint oop- tract with the City o fHo wa to n,llthar alone or jolntlt tith the various other munlolpalltlea in Farrla Count9, to proTide for the o eratlon Of the Offloe oi the Director or Clrll f an De- fenae, an4 the oontrlbutlon or ruade ror auoh purpose out of the Osnwal Pun4 and the Roa6 an4 Bridge Fun47 "(3) If the County mey 1 ally latar 5.nta auoh a co&mot as la suggeate3 la Quertloa (4) abova, may the County then pay over Its pro rota sham of the fund8 fixed by the oontraot to the Dlree- tor ror erpaa4lture, or s.Ust any such aontraot provide that expenditures Shall be m4e only In aocordanoa with the laws protl4lng for a4rrrtlae- aeat for bids, ptiaoa, audits, and other laws regulstlag tha aoaountlng for and expenditure of Gouaty funds, auoh as the Depoaltor9 T.aw, et cetera? “(4) In the event you aimuld be of the opinloa that the County my not legally direotlj ooa- tribute manea from its General ?und, or Its Road an4 Bridge Fund, aa aug~eate4 In Queatlon (1) above, am it, without violating the law acting throug K the Commlaalonera* Court an4 its duly oonstltuteb offloara, auoh as the Sheriff, the imeaaor and Colleotor of Taxes, ard other ajmllar offloors, oontrlbuto supplies, mohla- cry, equipment, and personnel for the purpose or operating and ncfintalnlng the offioe of CliIl- Inn Dotense, suoh operation and malntanaaoe to be 6ubjaOt to the direotlon of the appointed Qlreotor for Harris Oounty? *'ihe obdeot to be aao~mp3lahe4 IS not onI9 a laudable one, but la undoubtedly a pub110 Ronoreblo H. L. W48hbum, Page & I . matter. It 8eema to me, however, that the au- thorlty af ths Caunty ottlaars 4ad the Comml.8- i3i0llOrEi Court, in abnnrotfon with euoh matter, is limitsd. Berrfr County happens to be rituated in a partioul4rly vital 4re8, 41~04 it 14 the mat and oenter of muah wurk and manutaatum 410 reatsd tc th4 iapcrt4nt end of a ~8uecrraiul pro- 88aution of th4 war. It IB, 4s you know, t&r oenter of oil aotiritl48 and the, various r4- finorles themaelr46 81% at th4 pmsgnt time l4rg4- ly 4 aged in the mmufaaturr et tcluck4$&l;ther ingr%onts OF baeea ot explorives. therewforo, a 4e6%rable objest to ;.be w%ceplli5h- e4 by the operatlen of th4 Oftioe of Civilian w4B80. *The Ccmml8rionrra~ Court Is authorlsed by tf;4 provlalon8 Of ArtAolr Y, Sectian 18, of the Conatitutioa, wbioh provides in part, 48 follaw8: mrl’ha county oommlseionore 80 ohomen. with the oounty j\?agei as presiding cfilorr, 8-1 eompo+e4th4 GotmtJ Ccmaissionere Court, whleh 8hiLl exercise ruoh pewem and jurivdietion war all &aunt? buein484, 48 18 conferred by thl8 Con8titutlon cm& ths law8 ai tha State, or 50 may be hamafter prrsaribe& * Vho ganecal pawarr of a Ocuml8aion4r8* Court are provided In &tlale 2551, Vernon*8 Annot4t4d T4x48 Statut48. In addition to the genrral power8 them awi!mrated there are v8r- ioun 8 8aial power8 snuam+at*4 In the 8tatute8 which ia 14 beon p4e8ed from time to time. %%A@, ths Forty-Seventh Lsglal4turo pa8wd an 4et which Is now a8rri4d a8 W$tolo 835la-1, Var- wm*e Annotate4 Tmas Watutrr, whloh author- is411 the County Cmmi805awm’ Court to 'tur- aleh fire proteotion and fir4 fighting 4gulp- ment to th4 citisem of 8aah oouaty r48Miry outside the aity llmita of 4ny a%$~, town, or village within the county and/Or adjoining OOPP- t14e.1 '&la etatute speoitieally authorlt48 the ColsmSe8iearrs" Court to mk4 oontr4Ot6 with *any city, town, or village within the oouutp ad/or adjoinIng eountles, upon suoh term8 aad oonditioaa aa 411 be 4gr.44 upon brtwesa the Conu4ie8ion4re' @!I ourt and the governing body Of Ronarabla H. I,. Wmhburn, Page 5 6UOh Olty, ton%, cm ~111~4, for the~uoe or the i . tire truoks and other tire flshting equIpaan$ of the ofty, town, or vfllsge.l The 4ot 4OZlO1Ud48 with 4 provl.60 reading: R~~~vIQeQd, however, that any flro eqolp- want purohared by any County ahall be 4~~0 only by a majority tote of property owning taxpayorr and quelifird vetern of such aouxty at a aounty- wide eleotion oalled for ruoh p~4~080.~ “nl4l-4 are ale0 ~ViSfOn4 In the Pub110 E4alth St4tUt48, 8U4h 48 &tiOlS 4410f, ‘author- k ing th e lx p mdftur e CommIsaI.oners~ by th8 CotirE at County runa for publio health an4 sanlt.atIan. Arti 68Eb autharieec the Oom- mIs4Ionerr~ Court rnQ the oounoil of any OIty or town to crpprupriata mQ 4xp4nQ non4y for the eXp4B8eS Of tmOp8, bSft6ri48, OorPpEniOS, SigBal i7U 8 hospital 44tP8, S&l6b8IidS Of th8 aatIv4 x5.1 T tia of thin m&e locrat44 in moh oeunti4s altier, or towns, not to 4rewa the sum of $iOO per month ror thr expenr,e ei eny on4 organization. ktiale 3891a authorls~8 the COIUlty OcPlsli841On4%‘8’ Qourt, oity luthorftfo8, OOSUEUUiti48, End OfViU and MtriQtie Ol’@li:i3~- tioas to provida funds, armorI**, lqulment, EatsvIal, tranrportetien, or oth4r apppmpriatc, s4rvioes or iaoilities, to the Texas EM&MO Guard. Them is also ml014 0144 proviaing for a ‘Km4 Guard, * Tblpl 14ttar 4t4tuts mm48 to oentsmplats ths organIsatlon at a gu4rvIlU band whIah will bs 4uthorIse4, or the member8 of which will b;z authorized, to oarry p14tO18 and ether weapons when *aalled to lotual duty by the aharltt.' me %ot provider that ‘ooim- ties, oit1es, and tnnnr aray through their lew- tul gcverning bGQI48 appropri4te trem their pub- 110 tr44scrIe8, rconeym to rOvI44 arm au4 am- munition for such herd unii 41 such rrtla 4 M they rr4y prsaorIb4, and those reoeivlng arms from the county shall x&urn all isunv~and aau5unltl~n to the ouunty 5udg4 when not an duty.' The tfP8 of expsnditurr authorte8Q by~th4s4 various @tat- Ut44 18 Very 4imiL4r w th4 type o? 4Xp4UditUr4 now proposed to be made en4 about whI4h the above w*tloaas ar4 prOpOunQ*d. ?h4 ia4t that th4 Leg- Pslature round It ne44~ury to pass etatUt Honorable H. L. Kaahburn, ?a;$. 6 : * ~peoliloally authorizing the Cwmias1onara* Court to make the types above Eaxpendit.wre of noted Impala the neoeaeary c~nolu~lon that wlth- out suah statutes the Court would have no au- thority to arake mob expenditurea. “So far aa I hare been able to learn then 18 no statute apsoltloally authorlrlng any of- pendlture in oonneotlon with the ‘Cn?iee of Civilian Defa~nae* of any OS its branohar. Our Court8 have repeatedly aald in the part that the powere of tha Ctmmir8lonera* courts and oi- tieera of eountior lra limited to thoee exprear- ly granted to them by the Coa~tltutlon and mtat- utea, and rueh parers as are neoessarily implied rrom those axprm~ly granted. “h’llla County va. Lamparaa County, 40 6.W. 5b8, 90 Texar 6OSl *Comml8alonerr~ Court of tradlwon Coun8y vm. Ballaoe, et al, 15 S. a. (2) 555; “Van Rosanber at ll.va. Xavett, 17s 2.W. 508 (Error Refund 7’$ W3nmisrlonera* Qourt at liarrle Q0Wity W. Kaiser, et al., es 5. w. (a) 840 (Error Rafuaml); vX.ty ot Brsokmrld~o ~8. Stephem Oeu~~ty, ~$eimmplon of Appoal8) 180 !WxaI, 2318, 40 S.B. ~~uan-Xarrea Fubllahi~ %atpanj to. Hutch- insen County, 45 S. iv. (I) 651 (Wrer Rsfuled); *Sag& ver Campbell, et al., 4i3 S. y* (g) 515; and, *Len&an ~8. State, 97 8. :‘j. (Z) e64 (Error Refured). Tit is ganerelly noa@ilzed that the oao- mi88ionem~ Court aay abt through @gent8 for oer- ta$.n purpoaeo, although their eutherity to a0 aat eoaa~a mmewhab limited by the atatutd8. A* t&ale 1580, Ravfred Civil Btatuter, lP%g. The Honorable B. L. lmahburn, Faga 7 Legislature may oC&?&t oouiaty bualneaa to some other Lenoy than the Camiaslonera~ Court. 1 *Austin Moe. ve. Patton, et aL, (domraiaalon o? Appeala), 208 S. ‘6:. 168. But appanntly the authority of the Ceatmlaslonera~ Court to dele- gate its authority la very llmltea. Thus It haa been held that the duty or the County aaa- missioners to audit all elalma againat tha aoan- ty and to order paid only than found to be uat, la judlolal and it8 perfnmanoe oannot be de i e- ated to another. Padgett, at al. va. You~16 8 ounty, et al., 204 6. II’. 1046, (Error dlamlaad, 1u9 S. 6. 459 1. Pnoumablf the aame rule would u Oounty Auditor, in the Qiaoharge 0804up o nme b lua hltatutea aa Mtlolea 166 , 1661, and But motion L, PIsetion 19, of Art1018 39138. “Them are numeroim provIaiona OS our Con- atitutlon dlaoloaing a gesleral polkg s? 00nrin- ~m~oaea other than those ror whioh the7 were Set Arttola III, Seotfcma 44, 61, %18, and 55;*kr?Aele I, Seotiona S and 16; and Art%- ele XV3 Saotlon 6. Our Supreme Court ham ala0 expresaiy aeolareu that fknty t3awairaloaen~ Courta have no authority to tranaier mosey frola a fund orsate tar one purpose to a ipkQ omated ror 5050 other purpose. 08rrol1, at al. vs. V?llllam, County Tmaeumr, et al, 109 Texas 158, IxIE S.W. 504. =I do not underHand that the @overnor, In hi8 derignation of the County Judge, hu in any eense undertaken to authorire the erpendlture of any funds iOr any purpose. %e EEOverncwla, of eourae, given aomrwhat broad authority by the er- preaa provlaiona of Saotlen 7, Artlole IV, of the Constitution, whiah reader “life shall be Ccsunander-in-Chlof of tha milltar the State, eroept don toraea of they ;yat;;lled into the 8etua.l serviom of the United Be ahall hare powet to aall IIerth tho mll.t& to aeoote the law8 of the StatO* to auppreaa inaurreotlone, repel in~aalene and protaot thefrontier iron! hoetile knLnoura~on%by Indian or other predatory bands. * Honorable E. L. Washbuxa, Pago 8 _I wAn7 expenditure8 which mkht be undertaken I . la aonneotlon with the above eeatlon of the Con- stitution, or any other aeatlon of the Conatltu- tlon authorizing the Governor to aat, would not, ao tar 88 f am lntomed, give the Governor any authority to euthoriee oounty oftlaara to spend money tram aounty fund8 in the turtheranoe of the and8 a8 authorlrea. It aaaae to ma that luoh lotlvltles on the part a? the Govomor mumt neu- laaarlly be tfnanoed rrcai approp~latlona made by the Leglalature or under acaie let of the Leg- jalature apaoltloailp luthorialng the Cm8laalon- era* Court, or other oounty ofrioera, to spend money In aid of aatIvltlea undertaken by the Governor under sonatltutlonel author1 ty. “It aeema turther apparant to ma froai thm executive order proaxlpated by the Frealdent oroating the Otllae o? ~irlllan Dokionre that It wee eonteaiplated that the Federal Government would defray the lotual oxgenaea laoident to thq sotup of that organization. The order aeema to aontenplate the 2tataa am unite In the Civil- Ian ueronae authority,, Of ooutiae, oouatlea are declared by ou1 Constitution to be legal aub- dlvIalona ai the State. Artlole 23, Saotlan 1, I understand the rule to ba that Cuimlsalonera’ Courts ma without an7 legislative powers what- aoever, and, am th+ governing bodies ot au+ ‘-4. (1. i$lona ai the Etate, muat rely upon the Leg- Ydature for authority to emend ?unda. I have bean unable to find any authority for the ox- pendltura propoaod In thfa l~,tanoe, either in the fern? ot a direct authorization by #a Lag- lelature, or in the. tom of en lmplloati~ in exlatlng statute*. I hero enumerated oort8ln atetutea above tmm whioh it might be @ai4 that certain wera oould be inferred, but I: do not believe e hat they are broad enough to authorlte expenditUm8 o? the tme here proposed. 9, thsrefom, rWFeOt?dlly 8Ubnit ?Or YOUr detsmlnetlon the queatlcna above ‘OmsmateQ, and hare appended the oltat~on ai 8UthhoritiM and dlaouaalon in the hope that they Nile., be Of some aeslctsnae fn properly Qeterminl~, the ques- tlona submitted. i BanoFablo H. L. Wa8hbuFn. Page Q “A lvoent opinion OS your d8p8rtmnt whloh , . 88-e to m to hera fbomebearing upon one ham of the queatlon presented is pour Opinion I! -4483, date& Xaroh 16, 194& addressed to Ronorablo Burl Brittain, County Auditor, San Fatrio Coun- ty, Xnton, Texan, In regard to the aynent of exponaes of the County Judge inourre i as Coer- dlnator or Civilian Defoorrr.~ Ma thank you tar the excellently rrittan opinion oontainrd in your letter. Sin84 you aoourataly 8tat8 th8 law BP w8 umlerrtand It, we adopt the vlcrs 01 x-48846by you a8 the oplnlon of thi8 Dapartmaat. It fol f 018 that your rlrat and fourth qu48tionm are answered in the negative, ana your esoond and third qu8stlon8 do not rsqulr8 an an8w.F. Your4 very truly ATTORIfEYOMlCRALQ,rTZXAS