Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY OENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN to k SOlA rmlirt rlloatr a81 mB.4 b th.8. r.. 1l.f rllantr ior the pPr@haro of rooda, she mo8.y nrolroa f?a the aal. 02 lw to Bo plao.4 krt lato the fund for the )onhuo of mom rtrpr , ana SO on. '2. An qvount to wet dl tA0 uporuu ot opordi th e o r fir~e CW th 0 l0 li r tup r , lmludlzq t“g l r a lr r yot ouAlor and 8mlrtmt, oat or off la* mqulpa~nt, utllitlu, nntsls . and other lxpoaaoa, whioh l lneoa uaro retl- &to& lt fra $250.00 to $33.00 pu moatA. “In the wont tho Oity ot 08lnorvllb weor to pay onehrlf or lll oxpearo8iaourrod,la- oh.umg th0 80ttin(:up or th0 nrohiq fund, your opinion 18 di8lr.a 88 to *otmr, rnaa tho above uatlonod li?omatiaooe, thrra lr w ulthorlty tor lo ttln& gp cut of t&o @arm1 tpad ot tho oountr, the oountq'sput ot thio #o- orlm *ruoitlry r8m.d’ -4 for root- th0 oOUleJ'8 prt of tA0 ddltload o-m808 of opratlng the ottlao tar thr #alo or rtupr, ti80 0~8 0r th0 terra fbd ia th0 aho 0r th0 lrot thatth- oondition of tbo gonoml~‘iuad la mob that it will lhou UI onrdrdt o? qproxi- r.toly U2,OOO.OO at the en6 of tA0 pro80118 rear Daoubor 318t, 1941, without taking into oonridor8tlon tho rottily up ot the rorolvlag rud or tho ldbitioad rxponreor ogarrtla#the 8tu 881 00m00 lti Is V~OW 0r th 0f80t th8t nolttu o f th a w ita m. wuo p r o vl~o a to ? in th e budgot. “If your lmor to tA0 *born l8 that tAo itus roatloaod 8ro 8 propor olmr#o qrinrt thr gonrrrl ruad of oho louatr, your opl8oa la do- rind a8 to dothor the u8A tar lttb& \IPtho r~~i+i~ funa 8nd r0r uettia6 th0 8wti0n3. lx p uis.8 o i o p o r d.lng tA* 8 r slo o til*o88x be rovldod br the lr8um.e- 3 @n rtia of -t8, tx Pa uy 0tAorsuaor, and ii wsmsats rhould bo ir#wb, how a d8kin( mtd rq k 8.t Up iOr rotlrlag ouoh wuvuta “?e th0 hat tAro0 7OUS 0-o Oout~ hu lpolrSWOd Wht i8 8UB.d 8 ‘&OSlth U&t’ 8&U U8it briocl; 0 ZUtO$ jOi8tw b th@ hit@& &at08 PuAllr Hod tr 8orvl.0,6tato il~artamt o? Eoalth, ua Cooke COW&~. -8 1.08 buQ.8 met u ma8 to? o-total oi $1.),281.25 ~lotrlbuto~ u ?oE 01s: ‘Stat0 moo 00 Labal (Cook0 00. & Oltr a? 0&iOSV11b) u. s. P. H. s, (title 6) %ici 2 U. 8. P. 8. S. (V. D.) 12CCoC ' Othor &OaOiOS 1050 00 #13,281.25 Vho dlrioloaof tho looal put o? tAe buQot ktl0.E th. city O? 0OiIUSV1110 Md (loOk COUntf US8 OS ?OllOUSl wty or raa0Otli10 $a00 00 Cooka UoUat7 *2611 w31 25 “r tr lXp .a nditur m8COW%ty 88Oh by the aonth al’0 88 ?011OU8: “88hr~ O? xOOl8h &~~80$~00 w 8alery 0r 88dtorlaa 50 00 S&q o? Clark .AuK u75 w "&I 8dditlOn t0 ii&~ lMWO l XpOIIditWOS, thOn i. an itr in tAa oount~"fi PX't oi the brrdaot rhloh lr eallod a @oontln&ont funa’, tho uowat d rbloh IO 4531.25. TAOdlrootor ot the looal health Ualt llolmm tho rl#ht to uk0 ptmhO808, Ma dO.8 88kO ~llFoh8OoS uoh month, Out o? thir oontiqront rund, rlthout w ?urthrrardor ?rcr the ~~881OllUO’ aolut or 8&OCOun8~Auditor, ol8imingthat tho ardor o? tho cOUi88iOU*r8’ Court SOttill# up tho ?uad i8 luthorltr?or hir to aeko ruoh puohaob8 .I ho oh00008 aad read bills to tho cori8OiOnOr8' tiWt for pa-t, 8nd tA8t the Auditor mU8t blllm md lp p r OvO,SUOh 8hO cd88iOnUS’ COW8 nU8t PUS thhr ?Or par- mt. “Your o&dldOn 18 dmOlr@4 88 80 rbrothor thU0 $8 8ar authorltr?Or mOOtirr(lth0 UU.8 "p th of the oounty*sput OS oporatiw the hu Uit 88 4OSUib.d SbOVO with Sp~~rl8ticM I’?08 tb -or&l fund of t&r lomty, d *Lut&u thora 18 mf lotharltrfor provldlaa l loatlryat fund suoh 88 has b o wlso t up lnd for tho dl8hu8i4 of rail loatlauoat*a4 la thwaaor la rhioh it 18 a* aonr. TOW fUrthOr OpiBiOB 18 4@81r04 88 t0 WhOthOr thUe 18 any SUthOrity for the payWnt Of Sdarior of tho follml~ olaso of WOrk8rS and iOr rOntal8on the tollowlnddoaoribod build- ing8, Out O? th0 gO#JOti rUnd Of th0 OOUntrl w8tanogrq3her8 or olrrb ror 014 O&o as- 8iStM.O OfflOO. or 018rlrs rStoaOgrOQhor8 ior loaal Teur 8tato plplopnt 0fri00. "8taographor8 or alukr undu tho Pub- u0 uaru0 A0t 0r 19~. "Rentalon bulldingiOod a8 8 I.P.A.Son- lng rowi. *Rentalon buildingll804 88 8 COmaiodity Room. @itWLt81 021h8u US.4 88 MOtin(:p1.00 rOr .tholoo81 Bapo Doion Ou~rd. "EUWl oa buildingUSO~ as A.A.A. or~loo.* Artlolr 2351-17, Oornoa’s Aanotatod Clvll Stqtutor, (HOUS. Bill NO. 201, A&# of tho 47th L0~i0l.8~0, 19W, 8ogUlar ~08010E) 0mpOW0r8 th0 OMBi88108U8’ OOUrt Of lOoh oountr 0r this Stat0 to oruto 0 romlvi~ t or fu.nds ud to mak0 lp p r o p r ia tio a sOut o? tho @nONI x'OT- thoroto la uo oi arid oounty to bo us04 by ~81~ eount~ in oooporstlon with thO Unltod St8tor DOputuat oi A loulturoto al4 ad aO.iSt ia #-iBe Out th0 pU?F#aO8 M r pl’OVi81C#U Of SB Aot or Colyrr8 0r tho Unit04 States pertainingto thr dir- trlbutloaOf OOiQlobith8 Oi QUSOnO in nood Of lSSi8taBO0, UndU th0 6irOOtiOB 'Of the Ulk1t.d 6tataS bpU%WIIt Of A&- au1ture. When any oounty exoroiror the power8 Braat br thr lbwo l&8lltiOn8d rt8tUt0, 8Il 188tting O?fiOO? 8h8= bo lP- olntrd to osrrf out thO prwlsloru of tho Aot and to l4ml.e ‘18tU tha fUUd8 apprOpriat8d iOr 8uOh 9W?O808. TAO 8tatuto 8088 rO?tb 8hO ~qUaufi88u OU 0f th0 i88U l??iOU Sti pmvl40, that him 881Uf ddl not OXOOOd%o .oo )O? month Ud that OSSbiOrS 8Zid08hSr 8SSiStOStO 88 w k WhOriSOa wta, So~rt uf bo upl0f.d. niS 8tatutO ti.ro lUthOlhS8 tho aomloalonars* oourt or rl~~ oasatr to oooperato with w lnoorporsted olty or town la luoh oouaty on mu& ooldl- tlom aad roqulruanta 08 mar k prCadgOte4 br lUOAoOII 81.810~0’ mirt . IOU s~S ldtlud that the oouatr UT log3l.ypm- tlolpote In tho Unitad Statea Gor8rnmant r00d Stmp Plaa umlor tho prorlalam or tha 8bmr lontlonodltotuto. The gdly fuad out Of wAleA “St(19w”, 88 aboro untiOM&, M8l bo purahS8od, or 0 I-OYO~V~IUJfuad sot up, is tho gonor fund or tho oount~. 8OStiO87, ArtloLo XI or tAa state coaatl- totion, inhibitsthe ox’UtiO8 of a4 kind of a "debt," 88 umt word is 40ria0a la the OS80 or Idox08.lt, city 0s Waoo, 33 8. U. 322, by the Suproo* Court of Toxas, wun~088 prwl- *loll i. mad0 at the tie, or Ol'S8tiS& tho 86mO for 1O~lng md 00llootl6ga lufil010nttu to pay tho lntonat thuoon lod pPOV%dS8t 1888t tm, QU O@St SS 8 81SkiS~ Ipld.* (S.0. 7, Art. ll, &ate Conatitutloa).The word wdobtm18 dorinrd in the uOHoSi SS80, SUpI%, S8 fOihWO1 “u0 OOSOiUdOthat th8 Uod ‘dOb8’ SO U8Od in th0 sonatltutiormlrovlol68 abootoqucrtod, &MS aal poounlarr obP tation irpoaod by oon- tr6ot, aoopt 8uoh as uuo, 6t tho 40t0 or the ormtnot, within tha l8uful ma rmi#onSblo ooa- tOBpiO8iO8Of t&O POrtiOS,t0 b0 888iSfiOd OUt or ths ourrontrovOaua8for the flsr, or out or aomo fund thoa within $Ao LPudIatO oOnt?ol Of th* oorporatlon." TAla dopartmont hu rorulStontl$ hold tA6t a oountf omnot ooatroot luoh 0 %obtm ura luuo llthOr bonds or tirr wuroe8 to pay tho 0-0 out 0s th8 ~SSUS~ rona or the oantr, ho ~lro oaoiatont~ This dojtartmont hold that 0 oountr his no luthorltrto borrow monw rr0r its dapoaitorr Or any other bank or porron to mot oaoual 4etl~loaoloa in Its goaoral fund althou* thora will ba 8uSSioIont rmr~ In ml4 fund uhon ourroat turns lo lollootod. xonor8blo 11.A. Yoxlrrth - PO@* 6 Although fou stats 'the wadltlom of the ~~onl u o r tifi lt l funA10 luoh that lt dll r h o w 412,000.OOat tha rsd ot tho )roomt $'mr DIorba 31, 1 mltkout toklu into ocoolAoratlo8 tho ret&g u ot the ro- ' rolrlngtu8A or the eAAllbno1lxponoo ot oporat Pa6 the otup lalo ottloo . . .“ it lo not chara that br oottily 9 tho rovolrln(l tumi and proridingtor tho aeooooaq opar- atlng oxparer ot uld plaa that the amunto 00 rrqulrod lxooui wo uld the amount ot ourront reveauao roooonobly oon- tomplato& by tho bouatr. Itth e Sundo ua ltalkable, the nrolrla( fuad and the zmoeooar7 oprating lxpmoo~ oaa ba sot up out ot thr &oaoral fund, or if no fu&o nre 8tLiloblo axid the amount requlrod doer not OXOMA the lrount of ourrmnt r~rmwo roasombly lx p r o toor d oontrrplrt~ by the oountf, ordinary ruronto mhy be loouod tOr #a auto. No uo laolool 0 oopy ot our opinion mo. O-340 *hioh holAo that the ala lolonuo* oourt ur py the bona pmalu8 ot the laoulngoffioorunder Art19102 5 -15,lugrr,. Nlth rotrronoa to sour qurotloi?‘~~lotlrr to t&o oouaty "healthunit” wa are ,nolooln$l oop~ of our Opinion No. O-2281 for your 16formotion. Artlolo &+16-t, Vmmon'o Aanotated aid1 Statutes,providerin port, %hr omlo- doadro’ oourt of on7 eountr ohall hove the autborltyto 9proprloto and expondmoner trollthe gonor r~vmnueoot lto oouatrlo? on6 ln behalf OS publichoolth and sonltotlon dthln 1to laulltJr.~ Artlolo 1659, Yornon’r Annotated Clrll Statutes, among other thlngo,protldeo: W~ppllro or lrorr kind rad rnd.krld60 matulal, tor the uoo ot or ant other matitrriol, said oounty, or any of it.8otrlooro,Aoputmonto, * a lnotltutlozumust bo prrohaoodon ooaprtltlr~ bids, the aontraat to b o lmrdod to the pcrty who, in the judgnantot thr oomloolonero oourt, ~IBOoubmlttedthe lowest and boot bid. . . Xn o a o o o o i o mer 6eno , p ur a h o o ~ono t la lx o *o o o f one hundred sad f1it7 dollarsJMY bo MAO upon roqtioitlonto ba apgrorod w the oomi.orionoro ocnart, without adrertlolng,ior ocmpetitlrablUo.W Art10101660, VI)I~OIL'OAnnototOdCi~ll.Qtptuwo, -0g oth*r tuwr, prldeo that *no OhiM shall b* dl~~*d i xonu~blo P. A. YONlr~ah - rue 7 o r a id u8Ul it ho 0 b o w r r r r ir ed a ndlpproro4 by the lmntr maA Ptar.’ The ~rtloo ot th, ocuaty ludltor ore turthar pro- lorlboA br Art10101661, Vomon'o A8notot.AQlrll Btotutoo, rhieh road as tollornt =No ohall not audit or lpprotrsay lwh olair unlroo it has bran ooatr~~@toA as prorlAoA low, nor l000m ror th0 p~r0h~ 0t sup- p % es or mot 3 -ala tor the uoo or salA oouat~ QD any oi lto otflooro, unlooo,in additionto othrr roqulramato ot low, tbore lo lttmhod tbroto o nquloltlon ol6~oAbr tha ortlorr or- Aorlng @a~ and approrod br UI@ oounty udge. Sal& roquloltlonmot br MA@ out and aignul enA lp wod in trlpllomto th 0 ldd 0rfl0u0, the trrpliooto to raaoln wit P the etrlaor deolr- lmg thr purohaoo, t ho Aupllwt6 to bo ills& with tho oountr auditor, and the orlglnml to bo Ao- llitu.6 to the pat7 trom ~&on rdd purahmoo lo to b@ MA* botora w pprtie08 obrill be ma&~. All wuronto oa the ocuatr treaouror,rxorpt warrantsfor jury eUYlO8, must be ocunteraignod br thr oountrauditor." Sootion10, Artlolr 2351, Vernon*8AnnotatedCivil Statutro,provldoooaoh oomaioolonrrs~owrt shall "oudlt on6 lottlo oil lo o o untoo¬ tho oountr and dlroot tholr payment. * Wo find no authority, llthor oxprooooA~~or irpliod, luthorlzlnqtlio aamloolonorol oourt to 08t pp a *oontlryent itmu,* as rbo'vr mntloned, and in the obsanoo of luoh luthorltr, the oomloolonuo~ oourt oaanot logoIly sot UQ ru&~ fumI. liuoovu,said ouurt may appropriate and expand roney fro8 tha 6enual rovontmoot the oount~ for and I.Eb&&r of p~bl10 hoolth and ooiltotlm within tho ocuntp es authorltodbr Artl- olr &Ale-t, olqra. mAoh lxpondlturroto CO Eiado in oollplluw dth the above mentlo altetuteo, rd on& to k ollow.6and a~- prorod w tho oaam.loolonero* oourt ond the oountr auditor,and ln tha liont t&m ocunty does not hmo l oountfoudltor,tin lomo to be pooooA upon, allOwA&, anA l pproredby tha od@- llon*ro*oourt. 10 now oonoldorJOUF third quo@tiOn rmletlro t0 the luthorltrof the oamlsoloao~ rourt roeu6~ the pamnt8 ‘< , etlo lo r loo ottha llooo ot workers mn.4 thoroi~afi tar roatalo o&tho klldinp AomriboA, ~tOftho/.nor3 fuaA ottho lauat .Thl aorriooioarro~ to paf root@ I oa l bullbi T h q lo u o woa tio s 6~r16.6 Yau 0.6 a ‘a so mo 8tooth o A.A.A e courtlo aotw~UooSao& a a a o h lo lno lo o o A. The to py tho nntal on l halldin@ us* aa a uati8g plroo for the lood llama Dotons. OuuA aa pr0tiA.A w Artl.10 569b, Vernon’s Annotated Qlril 6tmtut.o. Tbo wemioolo8uo’ laut lo logalll luthoriaoA to pay tho rant4 on a bullAiq uwA 80 l U.P.1. Sowi* Rw.onA on l build y o d a 0l c mltl Roar. SOS our Conforonor Oplnlon 099, l oopr of whiah is onoloooA herewith. The ~uootlon,aethu th ~oolonuo’ court has ruthorlt to ~pproprlotourl lxpnl ooumtr tuxkiofor the purpoo~ ot pq L tho omlulrr of *tan opphero or oluko for a *loml Tuoo StotoLlplomnt Ottloo •otoaagr~phoro01: lluko undu the Publie WolforoAot af 19U mnA 8otoa~ra hors o r llork8 for Old A(0 Aooiotaaoo Orflria io 801 botora thP0 Aoputmont, whloh lo prooontd I8 onothor opinion rwpot and do n anoworodwe willbo glad to eonA y o u a lo p yo fth e sue it $0~ still Aoolro &a lnowu to ;lour quootlono ro6or6iria the Sam.. Truotlng tho ltowaro to r o g o la g roux laqulrt,w uo Yours tory ttulf APPROVEDOoT18 19U v Orwor 8ollorO )a/ 1IrA.U !%UluS PIRST AN8ISTANT Aoolotmt ATTORRRY GEmAL