OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
GLuLoC.MANN
Aruemw?QP(mAL
Haa. Clint Barham
couaty Attorney .
Wath County
Iltrpbatllle, Texar
Dear 81~1
rrwdre4 an4
quote rrom your
8 the oontrolllag
8tatute.oa 80 It prodder that
the rloation oaataraed by thr
reported to the county
~rsrultr +olarsd by the oomrPi8riOne?8
oourt.
%?Om a reading Of thrre proririonr 1 8~ a0 bar18
top 8th di8tillOtiOll8 but iamauah a8 the qUO8tiOXJ 18 ma40
md it,wfil.loOa bo tima fOr trU8teO llaOtiOm 1 a8k that
YOU @To me 70~ opinion an thssr qufrtionrg
Hon. QlfntBerhem,DaSO 2
'(1) Whloh body should OallYa.18
the rsturar of
trU8tbi OieOtiOn8 Oi OOIUIOM8OhOOl di8triOt87
-(2) 'aloh bodt rhould Oanvam the return8 ot
independentrohoo1 dietriots wherein the 8OhOle8tiM
Me 108s than 5000
"(3) 'Xhlahbody rhould aanta8e the returar of
ladependanteohool diatriatr having 8OhOlasti08Of
more then 5007"
Artloler 2746 an4 27&6a, Vernan*r Aanotate4 Taxa8
Civil Statutee, read a8 follow8:
=Art. 2746.
Wald trUEltOO8 rhall aDpOint three (3) persO3l8,
qualiiied toter6 oi tha dlrtrlot, wlm shell hold rmoh
eleotlunan4 naka return8 thereof to sal4 trwteer within .
iit0 (5) day8 after 8uOh elrotion, and raid persons shall
?eOeite en cc enEatitXlfor their 8erViOe8 the 8~ Of
One Dollar ($3 eaoh, to be paid out o? the looal fund8
oi the sahool dlotrlct where the eleatlonwas !mld. The
Board Of Truateea, when OrdOrlag 8uoh elCotloa en4 appolnt-
inngpersons to hold elootion, rhall give aotior oi thr tina
and plaoe where auoh eleotion will be held, whlah aotfoo
shall be POeted ltt:thFtO 3) public plaoer wlthln the 418.
trlot at least twenty (20I day8 prior to the data of holbing
raid oleotlonr Ii, at the tlpleand plaar for holding 8~0h
rlrotion, any Or all Ot th. p@?8Oll880 O~pOi@Od t0 hold
8Uoh eleotion are absent or refuse to mot, than th el&OtO?8
~l'O8CUlt may seleot or their number 4 QW84Xl or per8oa8 to
aot in the pleoe or those absent or retU8lag to act. Said
Board of Trustees shall meat and oaava88 the return8 Ot
raid oleation tit& rive (5) day8 after return8hare bean
made end daalare the result of said elcotion aad i88UO t0
the ~?8CUi8 60 eleoted their 001tl~li8131OIl8 88 8uOh tr'l8tCC8,
and shall notify the County Judge or the County SUperlntCII-
deat ii the oountp ha8 a Srrperlntandent.Ae amended, AOt8
1941, 47th Leg., p. 1373, ah. 623, 61.”
.
Hon. Cllat BarhsrP,pago 3
2746a.
ickt.
_ .“a of the ballot8 ?Or the rleation of a 80hool
truatae la aomaoa 8ohOO1 4i8trlat8 an4 in ind8pm4at
lOhQol d18tr:&8 hating fewer than tlra hundre4 (90)
8OhO~artiO8 08 8hom by the last preoedin8 8OhOla8tiO
OOLl8UO roll approved by the State Dqartmcurtof Eduoatlon
Md &Ohl8iVO Of t?M8fO?8 rhall b8 printad with blaok
ink 9 alear white papera of autrlolent thIaknr8a to pro-
tent the marks thoraoa baIng 8ean through tha paper, and
bo of MifOrm styla ard dfmea8fon) at the top of fhs
ballot there rh811 b;aprlate4 ~Otfiolal Bellot,
Indepandsat Sohool Distriot~, the number or acme of th
rrohooldistriot In whrhioh the eleotioa I8 to be held toa
be filled in by the judge oi the county when ho ordara
the ballota printed. Any peraon do8lrlngto hate hi8
n8me plaoed'on eaid ottioial ballot, a8 a 08ndldato ror
the ofl'ioeof trwteo of a oum8on 8ahool diatriot or 02
an independaat oohool diatriot a8 herein prOTide rhnu,
at leaat ten'dapo.before8814 aleotlom, rile a writtan '
requeet tvlththe oountf judga of the count;tIn whioh 8ai4
418trlot is loaated requa8tlng that hIa aa01 be plaaed
on the ofrlaIal~bal.iot, On4 a0 oan4ldats ahall have hla
name printed on aai4~b8llot unlrea ho hno oomplleawith
the ~rovl8fOn8 of thf8 dot prOTid8d that iit@ or more
resident qualftied Yoteza 1a the dlatriot na7 raquo8t
that oertafn neime8be prhtea. The oounty $&go, upon
reoeigt or 8uah written raque8t, and at lehst iI00 day0
before the eleotion, 8hall hate the ballot8 prlatsd a8
provided ia this Aot, plaolng on the ballot th8 nam ot
eaah aandldata who ha8 oomplled with the te?Q8 Of thf8
Aat, aad aallter a 8uffloIeat number of printed ballot8
and amount or supplies nroesaary ror aaoh eleatfoa to the
p?SSiaftIgotriaaz of the aleotlon at laa8t oae day betoro
raid 8laatlon is to be held, raid SlsOthI 8Upplia8,
ballot8, boxer, aad tally 8haOtO to be drlitard by the
oounty Judgr by mall or in 8ny other manner by him 4oama4
beat, to the ~residhlg Off foe? Of a014 bl.OtiM fn rOti
OmdOpO8 whloh shall not bo O~OZIO~by the 8lOOtiOR OffiOe?
until the day of the slOOtion. The expen88a of printing
the btilatr and dolivaiug lame to the p?6Blding OffiOar~
togethar with thr other expense8 lnoldantal to 8814 alaO-
tiaD Shall be paI out of the available maintenanaa fuadr
belonging to the 8OhOOl district in w?iiahaaid llOotioD.
18 helb, or to be held. The orrioera OS aald alootlon
HOJI.Clint Barham, pa&a 4
rhall.Qa required to u8e ths ballota 80 fU.rai8hOd by thr
aounty Judge or prowida horoln. The rlrotloaoffloor
shall make raturna of 8ald OlOOtlOn to tha oounty ju4dgr
an4 orrtlfy the result in the aam menaer a8 18 n6w re-
qU.iredby law, an4 raid ballot boxer whloh rhall harr
besn fiuni8hO4 by looal school OffiOiti8 shall be rant to
tha fJotUAtyjudea and raid eleatioa ?StUM8 8b3.l be oan-
V’a88sd by tha CWni88iOnOr8 ' Court and together with ballot
boxer 8brU !a oafsly pre88.Wed for a period 0s threr
month8 next after the data or the sleatlon. (a8 OQMasd
Auto 1935, 44th Lag., pa 135, ah. 55,. 0 2.1"
Your fir8t qar8tlon rsqulree the oonrtruotion at
Artiolaa 2746 an4 2746a, Vernon’8 Annotated Texar Civil Statutea.
F;tl;i:lativo history Of these 8tatutea I8 thorarora highly
Artlola 2726 wa8 aaaotsd In 1915 and among otha
things p&dad that the board 0s truate~a 0s ooglpcll8OhOOl
418trlotr ahould aanvaa8 the return0 0s truatee aleotlona at ,
auoh ni8triOt8. Artiole 2746a was enaotsd in 1925 by Senate
Bill 263 or the 39th Legislature, ml among other thing8 pro-
tided that the dofml88ionata* oourt rhoula aanvaa8 the return0
of trustee elaatioa8 of oommoa rahool dlstrlotr and 0s lnaepsn-
dent aohool alatrlot8 hating loos ~than 500 8Cho~etiOs. Seatlon 2
or saaate aiu 263 above refarred to provided rot tha rapral or
all laws in 00nr;liot. It la'our opinion that Senate Bill 262
rapeale and 8UpW8ed84 the provlslon in Artiale 2746 proviaing
$02 the oanvaaalng or trU8tkW elactlon r6tuZn8 0s Oomlon 8ahOOl
dlatrlat8 by tha board of trurtras,an4 t&t upon the parrago of
Artlole 27&a in 1925 tho ooipLlitisloner8~ oourt and not the board
or trU8tW8 wa8 the proper body to oanva88 tru.ter alt4otloa ra-
tUra8 of oa~mola8ohOOl dirtrfOt8. III 1935 tit+010 27&h ~a8
emendedby the 44th Lagi8laturo ln only one reaprot, towltt thr
Da)‘BWtt of s leo tio l XpWlS~8 Out Qf 8OhOO1 fund8 Of the di8triot
n
Instead 0t 0ti 0s the goneral tuna or the oounty. In 1937
Artlo1e 2746 wag re-enaoted by the 45th Legf8htUN) it ~a8
amended 0dly to provide that the tru8tees ehould a point three
Wallflea persons for enoh voting box of the diotr!Ot fnrtOa4
of merely thrae quallr~od votara oia airtriot to hold the
trust88 eleotlonr. sootion 2 or the sot, H. B. 762, prOvide4
a8 SOllOw~r
._
Hon. Clln~ a#rhnm, pg. 5.,
*8608~60 0r the raea that In 60fh4 aah u;8trht8
In Texaa there ia more thaa oao toting box, and wherera
undaf thi old Statptea groat lnooat~la~oa ma aauaed to
the reaidentr or aaah.dlrtriota bsoauar or the grw dir-
t&now whlaa ?na$t aeoaaaarily be traveled rad wherrar muah
earing of tima ud expenar oan be obtalnrd b y lllawlng the
holdtie of ~~6ot10~8 IpOP OontMiMt t0 the rotary oreate
aa emergeaey and an taperatlrr ublio neoseaitythat the
Constitutional Rule requiring b P116 to be read oa t&m
several day6 br eaependsd, end raid Rule ia hereby 8uapeaded,
~4 -18 Aot almU- take SlVeot and bo in for00 on and after
ita paoeeger and it is 60 qaoted.”
The 80%. ala.'& oontaia a rapalfng olauro,
2?&6 was again re-anaotad antitumwled la 1941 by H. 8, l,l?$:
47th Leglaleture. The artlola wee mend& only with roapret to
the payment or 01eoti0~1 0xptia66, providing for the ptqmrnt or
anoh expenao8 by the board ot trWteee instead ot the oouuty,
Thenaot did’not aontaln a repealing olaaae.
KPethluk the r0uOdng oonatra~
rules or 6tfitlttOP~
tlan are pertinent and a plloablo to pour firat u6atlon. Xa
Quote room Imrla* Suaher Paad matutory Conetouot Pon, pager $41-E
34, 524+#, as iollowat
qhs oonatitutionalpratiefon requiring anendmeatr
to be made by eo%tiag out the whola 8aOtlOn a6 amadd ~68 '
not FatenQsd to makr any dirrsrent rulo as to the eifeot
Of 6UOh #IWIld!6OBt#. So tar aa the aeotlon 1s ahanged it
maat rsoelte a naw operation, but 60 rar 86 It $8 not
ohangod it would be dangoroar to hold that the mere nominal
re-ansotmeat #atld hate th0 6rr40t or dlrturbing the whole
body of rtatutea.inpari mstuia whloh bad been pa886d 83506
the rir6t enaotmeat. There must be somethingin the nature
or the new lo~alatlon to .showauoh an intent with reaaon-
able oloararsr before an lmplied repeal OM bo reoogalaed.
‘By obeutlng the O0fl8titUtiOllti rOX%II Or amending a 8@OtiOa
or 6 statute,* 8678 tho OoUrt in 0110oaar, ‘the legi8lahWe
doss not axpro an intonttoa then to Meat. tha whole 8eOtiOn
as (Moaitod, .bnt Only an lntsatlon then to eneot the ohaage
whioh 16 indioated. Any other rule at oonatruotlon,would
e~tiy intrtiuoe uwxpeotd result6 a+ work imat ~JM-
v6nDf6noe. q
Hm. Cl&t Barham, page 6
Vha sPraudmantoparatsa to repealell+.bS
the aeo-
tlon'daooded not eabraoed .fn tha amrndad rorm.
tlona of the amondad aaotlona whioh are morelr
WithOUt ohangr are not to be oonalda~ed (1srepealed and
to have been.the law at any time prior to the paaaagc,of
tha amandad aot. Tha ahanae taker eiieot proapeotIvaly
aooordlng to the general mfr. A repeal of that
lo twould not rfflte the &rotiaI&i~ ia origlntip emote&
On the OontrarfJ,a repeal of the amendatory aot atmld bC
a repeal of tha prorlaiona therein oontlnued ha foroe frog
the original a&,
‘*. . . ~i%hsrs
a urotIao Is added to a eeotlon bd
nmendmratIt all be atrlotl~ CCQ8trUOd and will be applied
only to that aeotloa, unleaa a oontrary intent la oloar.* .
~Fa@ziaIa addodl
qapaal anA ra-anaotmant - Effcat or ra-anaotmaut
on 3.ntarmadIata aota.-This rubjeot has alraadp bran OWLI
alderad to wrm extant la a roraer ohaptar. Where an aat
la aaendad or r8v,crLed, and the rcmmar aat expressly or by
inp%boatIonraplalad; saoh provlalona of the old law a8 are
lubattitlall re-eaaoted~ are deemed to be oontlnuoua. *A
later law whT oh Is merely a ro-anaotmantof a formar doer
not rapeel an lnterinodlate aot whloh has qualified or lImIted
the first one, but such IntarmadIats aot wIl1 be,doemed to
ranala in roroe, a& tq qua3lry or modfry the new aot la the
aama manuor as It aid the rirst.* This 1s aape0iaU.y true
ii the Intarmadiatslaw la apsoial or partlaularand the
re-enaoted law la a ganeral law nn the sane aubfeot. Where
a law is amended and re-anaated as amended, any intsrmdiate
law ineonalatentpith the new matter.lntroduoed, or ohango
made by the amendment, wI.11be rspoaled. where a law la
aubatantlallpr+anaotad It la sald to ahow that the logla-
lature did not regard It as repugmn% to an intermediate
aot to aaxo axten ouvrring the #am aubjeot. A town ohartor
granted in 1857 forbadethe sale of liquor. An amendment
made in 1859 gave power to lloenar Its sale. In 1870 tha
ohmtar of 1857 was m-enacted aA th0 linit6 Or the town
extended. This was held not to repaal ths aat oi lLt59,
but to be a mere deolaratlon that the rot of 1857 was
J
Hau. OllntBuham,pqe 7
8till in totoe, ~83 rolatsd baok to the tiae or its
original passago. SOOtIOn 5 or an aot Of Nevada Of
1885 ‘In regard to the oociponaatlon of oounty orrloera
fixed the oozlpoaaation oi tho oounty oiiloora or Elk
oouaty, giving the sherlfr oortaln retbe, the dlatrlot
attorneya salary got 2,000 and the auporlntandontof
aohoolr a salary of 9800. l'ebruarr 23, 1887, aa lo t
was ~aaasd to oonsolldate oortaln oouatl OfiiO08,
*hioh provided that dietriot attorneys should be ex
oftlolo luprrlntendsntls of lohoola withoutadditional
oom armatlon. On Uaroh 5, 1887, 8e6tIon 5 o ? th a lo %
oi P885 uaa aaonded so aa to give the aherlfr ot Elk
oouaty a salarT or 34,000, In lieu or toes, an4 the
aeotlon re-atiaoted inoluding the salary of $600 Sor
the aupsrintscdontof aohoola. It was hold that the
only objoot or the aot of. 1887 was to ohango the oom-
peqaatlou or the ah~rlrf to a salary, that it did not
repeal or aiieot tha aot oi Bobruarr,1887, and that
the district attorney was not entitled to the aalar)
or 3600 as ex oriioio superintendentof aohoola.*
It la our opinion that Senate Bill 263 OS the
39th Laglalaturo repealed and skporaeded the prurldon of
Artlole 2746 (passed In 1915) proriding ror the oanvaaalng
ot truetee oleotIoq8 or ooninonaohool dlatrlota by the board
of t~tUt4BO8. It ‘1s our rurther oplnlon that it was not the
intention or the l,SthLogIalatuo in 1937 to repeal the pro-
tislon or A,rtlola27&a providing for the oanvaaaing of
trustee elections oi oommon aohool diatrlotr by the ooamla-
aionerr~ ooourt in their ro-enaotment aud amYUnw&t Or AHIOle
2746, It ia our rur8har opinion that it was not the Intention
oi the 47th Leglalature La 194l to repeal auoh proo*iaIoaa of
Artlao 27&a IIIthe re-enaotmont and anendaent of Artiole 2744.
Tho oaao of Shaw f. Taylor; 1f.6 9.X (24 452,
rudered DOO, 19, 1940 involved the oontoat of a eamaon 8ohool
patriot l
trust00 leot~on, a0 trfd wurb~a rindingr 0r iaot
ahow tha$ the elootion rotarna were oanvaaaed by the oomla-
aIoaara* court. Noithor party questioned this propoaitIon
although other matters were strongly oontoatod. The Oourt
Mth rull knorledgo or auoh raot6 rouderod judgmnt. 01 OouI%i
Us oage 16 not dooIalto o? your mat question a6 the llattar
-56 net dlr00tlJ b&ore the court , but It la ab 10aSt to 801118
Qt*nt porguaglrrupon the quoatloa.
.
ma. Ollnt Buham, page 6
In an8wer to your first question you ue rcspcot-
fully advised that it ia the opinion of this dopartmeat that
the oommlrsloaerr~ootut rhould oanvass the rcturnc of tmmtcc
clcotioac oi oomzaon8ohool diatriotc, 0piniOIA8Numbcrrro-655,
0-750 and O-1357 o? thir department 8re hereby ovcrrulc4 inro-
far a8 they ooafllot with thir holdlng.
The 0880 of Thomae v. McGcmn, 94 S.YY. (26) 839,
hold8 that cn clcction in cn lndcpcndcntsohool dirtrlat
hd.llg 1CS8 thM 500 8OhOhlltfO8 W'M IlOt OOIl@8tCd tllltilth.
r&urn8 had beca.oanvs8se4bt the oomd8aioa6r81 oourt a8
provided by Artlola 27&a, V.A.O.S.
In an3war~to'your8cOOn4 qUC8tiOllyou arc respcot-
fully advised that lb 18 the opinion of this d8pCHLICCat that
th6 oommlacloncrc~oourt should ocnvaac the return8 of trwtcc
ChOtiOll8 of lndcpcudcutcohool dictlYiOt8 w%crein the 8OhOla8tiO8
am 1CSS than 500.
Article 2776, Vernon*8 Aanotated Texas Civil Statutcr,
read8 a8 fOllOw81
"All ~lootlons shall bc ordered by the boar4 of
trustees of eaoh IndcpcnUcnt 8OhOol distriOt{ Snd 8UOh
order shall bc mad8 at l&tat ten daya bciO?C the 4atC Of
clcotlon; an4 a aotloe of the order rhall be ported at
three ditfercnt plaocr'ia bhc dlstxlot. The boar6 of
rohool truatee8, at the time of ordering 8aoh elcotioa,
shall appoint three parson8 to hold the clcotfon,an4
chall db8i@iCitCthe p&Q88 wh8re the PO118 8hal1 be QpSft.
Eaoh pcraon appointed to hold cuoh elcotloa rhall rcOcivC
0110 dollar thcrcfor, to bc paid Out O? the gCncz& iUn4
of the oounty aa other 01aL.w are paid. All luoh ClOctioII8
8hdll be held, and returnr thcrcof nadc to..the board of
8Ohool tlW8tCC8, in aooordanoe with the general cleotion
hW3. The board of 8ohool trustee8 8hall Oallvall8Uch
returns, dcolare thc'rcsult of suOh OlcOtioa, and i88Uc
obrtirioatcrof cleotion to the perron ahown br SuOh
returns to be cleotcd.W
the case of killer T. CO??~S, U.8 T. 381, 15 S.FJ- (2a)
l0%, answer8 to Ocrtlfie4 quertlonr ooniormeb $0 (CiT* APP.1
l7 %W. (26) 1100, holds t&t ArtiOlC 2776,V.kC.5., aRPlic8 to
8ch~l dirtriot@ orgcnlacd under gcilcrcllndepcndmt lOboOl 4&-
trk laws.
i
Bon. Clint Barham, page 9
.'Ia aaawcr to pour third question you arc re8pcot-
?tiiY adVi86d that it 18 thC OpiniOn Of this dCp&G¶Cat that
the board Of trU8tCC8 8hoti4 OC.IlVCa8 the return8 Of trU8tCC
cleotions of ln4cpcadcnt SC3001 distriots having 8OhOla8tiO8
0r 500 or more.
Very truly your8