OFFICE OF THE AI7ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Ronorabla ii, L. Van&burn
county &lAltor
Barrls coulit-#
Rourtcnr,Tesus
tear Slrr oDlu1onx0. &A 40
Honorable ii. L. Vashbum, Page ?
of tb?IaYi;ratlon Dfatrlat, it8 buuirrsa8 and
faaiutlaa, ana am authorisad to $x-ascriba
their duties and flz theiF ocmponaatlon.
Pursuant to ’th ls ltatutolrJ a uth 0r ix athet1 o m
Xavlgatlan Comm~Loaor~ from tims to tinrs
authorized 6ho svvclatnmt aaa emvloymmt
of perg0.m oonriaema mc8rsw to di0ui-g0
the auto of tb poal8ioss oreatea. SUCh
OrdW i5~iY deglfgIS6e the pOSitlO& the
nma of the prrroa anointed. SIUI the salary
to ba paid frca tba fuada of tha Xav2gstloa
Dlstriot. wittell coatraotr of ellQlopnont
rlth oertdn sxcopblo~ sot iafilnent to
tha quastioM hmwnafter to be iwopmnae&
have not been used. TLm Dlmotor of the
Port, 0~ th8 Supertitetidsot, 6a the cage
pay *, has as a general rule crerelq ppcwd
oertain sbmtmaat4 ocoug~ ceHaln posltkma
ot spec1Plcid ratC)II, purgu.ant to aefinlts
orOar of tho Xaoigatloaa Coomlrsloaers sot
alt ln tha amAtoll, aaa thla oram ana oe.
~1OyIzm tan8omstitutea the aontraot of
‘employment.Such cantract dn not embbrurce
any C~IIPtiED. other than th0 E1omy for
vhkh a 8~alfio rate ii, ffmd.
"For mm Clue gast Ski0 Xwigatloa copt-
misu0mr.g have agth0rma the tming or
mtracto lq Zbo Ulstriat for hospital aerv-
1~04 for Its 6~lo)ro~. foF drugs, and for
Etsaifa ftttmton. tn.10~hay9 pmviah that,
unasr the dlmotloa of the phyaiclaa 80 aca-
traatea vith, the ew&3yee8 &all rooaIv0
hospltalltatlon, m& h U ltt~tio& 8nd
mdloinss. a ndh a Ye indla ded 6h W OinlWb ~-
tio a em!areolng
s x-ray vicfurra, uamlnat1oa
0f O~O, furnbthing of gbg808. snd mttfiy
slnflar item. Ploasa b6a.r in mind that
thesa contraotli nre -de d2reotlr beturrn
tha Dlatriotand tho hospital, th8 aoator,
the dmq store, 0na a0 forth, but that no
OiXSraCt 1s lrad0 Vith-th~ emg& 008 iOr auoh
maioar attention at thm time 7 0 tha employ-
mnt of gw-mas to operatetha Dlatriat.
Such daployiaent CoatPbOta only Indicate
Bonorable 8. L. Uaahbaum. ?ase 3
the CompmaatItmto bo paid InmmJy.
"19sm ham aw arlsm a oartom uheroby
tha mwloyea8 apply ior nsdioal atOe3atlonI
hor~1WlaatIon, 00 Aruga, vithout previom
aim08 armngwmat vttb mch employee,and
ouch Ituw am alag furaitid at the roln
lxpttnso of tha XarlgrtlomDiatrlot ln nAAl-
t1an to tha ngre.A oomguuac1oa. Furthrr-
nom, the &rmag~tl 80 made aRA tha ox-
plndItuma onbhurof auahQaQloyeea m?o
maa0 aad lnourmd ark? tha paPformuloe of
rervIoea and u1thotit 1laitat10n of amount.
I ha**-anA4avoroAlooaUy to aooertaln ib
oomet prlnol9lea of UV to apply to thla
rittlatioll, it being my caatoatlon that if
It be aanoaAul tha Xav&gatIon Dlatrfct bsa
authority ta make axplqmonta asl fls tho
conqnnsatloa for t&m sarvI.oea to be psr-
formA at a AaoigaatoA salary 0na nnr$ at
that tlnie enter late a ooatraot vlth such
elKp1oyoeu to furnish him in aaditioa them
to the psdlcal 'attuntion refermxlto, cer
'Uialy auah Dlotztet cannotlelf2ly m&s
an~mploymiu&tmA later ~amlshbahadAI-
tlcaal Itemm aftor &ho trio-• OF awv-
Ioea. I coatuad tha Oiatrlot5s~ at lta
option eater Into a oontmot vlth ita aa-
ployees but aucb aantrsct muat ttr tha
#cops of roch nedha& attentlanmui hor-
pitallratiaaanA&fi.nmJl~ umit~ aRmat,
vhIoh llaitation noosaoarIly nxut be reaaan-
able. Phls pati OS the aaPtmat al tmpby-
tanratla in addittoa to that fixing tba can-
pensatIanlnmon8yb
"Claim8 for profaroloml eervioes.
medical attentlom, hoapIt8lIze+tloa, ambu-
lance aervioe, amming, aad like 80~11~88
for tha past tvelve moatha hare opproxLIlvrtu4
$4,000 Vith Dl'WliN3Ot8iOll bOZM880.
'ma matter hag, thwdom, 888-a
pruportlom of lmportanae. and I Aeslrs to
pwsont for your canold6mtl0n the fcllovlng
queat?cm.at
.
Eonorable H. I..Vashbwn, Page b
9. aa8 tha Xmrla County Havlgatlon
Dlatrlct th right to ftwalah p6dioal attea-
tioa. hospitsllutloa. Axqga. eabulance aarv-
ice. aaa llko rorvla.8 to It8 tPplO76IIS in
lcldltl~ to aalarlso to br pald tn moam7 fop
tb p8d0m0 0f that2 authd
"3. Xf tha Harrla Cauatr Xart6athxa
MatHot ham such r:zlit, must the rloa%gxatlcn
0f ~ailrtea aa provl3Imus roe such i+3aicjL
and othcw attention (osrvlcsr) be Dids in
advance of or at t& tIm3 o? tha aqlo7mnt'P
“3.
If both of tha foFugoIugquertlont
am anauerdd in the aEflnmtlve, uuet the
order or oootraot of -lopent plocc a lfml-
tatronboth upon the acne7 ooapenratlon and
Um added sllouanco for asdim dnd other
ettt3ntlon?
“4. If tho Rarris County Havliiptlva
DlstMot C.wsaI8atoxmro aah an amplopmat
and &tmQnato 0 *ala-y oaly for a poaitlvn.
am f mthoritea thumafter to approve my-
zamta for medioal attontfon ena other allaiL%-
sexvices abwa deaoribed, vhlch am not au+
thorSteAuntil 8rtar thm rmrtormaacf4
of tha
atm~cbe and witha7t llmitatlonof aacuntt"
As stated ln 701~ letter, it vlll be noted that the
Harris Count7 mvigatloa Dietrict vaa eotablished by virtua of
3ctSon 53, Artlole XII’ of the 6tote Conotltution end Chapta~
i3.Tit10 128, Vernon'o Annotated Civl$ Ststutoa.
We have ctxznaidemdthe oplnlonn of Hcumr8blo D. A.
SinnnopS,&tlMUSl cOW3BOlfOF th0 &lFPiB C3UZlt7-qlLtiOll -air-
tr?ct; Eowrablo CoarsJ. 3. Landram; Azs:stnnt DlaUMct Attomoyl
and Ronomble h’raest A. Knapp, Attorney for Elarrla Count?, ooplea
vi vhlch worn attaohod to pur lnquby. Theme 09rnFonshave
aided us ln rvachlng Qur comlualon ia this o~inifm 8a6 V8 thaak
yvu for Curnishiag UB vlth the aallna.
Tha Xarrla Cvuat~Xtnvlgation
Disriat is a political
~ubdlrisloa or thr. Stats, aromSsing s part or the aorsmlgxa
H0norabl.e8. L. Vahk~urn, Fasge5
poveaw of tba Stak rod Lo sot simply a publia or qruoi pub110
corporation lilco 8 COQIQOoarHer m GsDsl and dock aomntions.
swtaiaiag this pm~oalfion u4 alto the caaa or cuehart f~.
Braros alverlbrbor Rovigation DLatrlot, 42 3. U. (2d) 96. Aloo
the aeae of Cnrpentm ~8. Arroyo-Colondo Rooi6ation Dlstrlat of
Caauma 0ndWilaon Cwatler, ill 3. U. 2d) 922 end t&w authw-
1t1eo m4ntlonmd in thwe UaMb. oenerJ ly rpaaking aarlg8tlon
dlutrlato lra arnantlelly pklitiaal subdltitianoor tha Skco.
They a-0 gov4mamntel 84mnaie0, bodies polltfa and aorgorato with
the pwar to sxeralor tiw fit&to. privil4gra uul RWI)N aonhmd
upon them by ki.0~. Th4y era mntmklly tnat4d a0 murioiwl co*
porationa irr t&a 04ns4 thatthoyar4 aaxulzmdto deaafto gao-
graphlCdl I&IWO, CUUih8V4 PO C;OVOtZUMnt~PWWO tWOid Of t&31
and oubjaot to *%a0maso d.08 uo apEXled in 0~~1~lng at t&a pev-
0x-s or oo~tleo sad altl4o. Constttutloa of Taxea, Article 16,
Seatian 592 Zdmmlar Tn. CIrltoa, 296 3. V. 1'57318alrLqoo vm.
Canaroa Caunty V&tar Immwteat M8tFFct. 25 3. Y. (24) 651,
Baxsr County ~8. lbdfaa-AUoaaaa Countlea Vater Ispmvmaant Dlo-
tr’lotvo. St+& ?l 9. w. (2d) 717. _.
ft %a'& wll eatabllobad prixmiple of &u that tba
county ccmaisoiafroro~ cmztc say axrreisr 0dLy such pm00 aa
eq3mos4 OF by nt~aeooaryiorpllcatian gl.vento aal4 courts by
the Constitutral OrIdatatutos. Thie prlrxlple Lo 80 well eotab-
llalrsdlrnd time4 ara 60 mny curtharltioo supporting the oaan.
ve &am Ct tmne