Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

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