OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
IionorableFrank Ff . k&-ray
County AttorneJ
CarBoll Qount~
Panhsndle, Toxar
Dear sir: Opinion No. O-8806
ROI The mathorlty of the County
Commlr8loIl6rn'court to mo-
QUire hIId ior the dl'lkinIL6~
oi Nate hl~hwa~r.
,(
that the 8tato IilghwayDsparttaent
a drainagO dltrh whlob
and the property owner
the rlghtr-of-way,
oonvenlent to any road to be . . m&Ataln*&
. . .) the same my bo’aopulrod by pureham or
oondemnationby the OOUntJ 0011&8~iO?X6~’ QOUXt.”
(UndersoorlngOW6)
Hon. Irnnk B. U.cmy, page 8
It is, therefore,apparmt from the Artlole just qtiotad
that the nroesslty of auoh land or right-of-waymust first be
datermIne& by tha Etete Elghwag Commi~aion. In other worbr,
tha authority to detarmlna whether or not the land la nao-
esaary for tha propar maintenanoeoi a State highway is in the
State iiidhweyCozraaisaion and not In the oomlaaloners* oourt.
Artiole 6074n, Vernon~a Annotated Civil Statutes, also
provldao that boforo a oounty oan aoquira land Sor euoh pur-
0868) a request must ba mada by tha State highway Comlaalon.
Fhe oounty &oar not have authority to purchase or condoms
if&n&for State hi&way purpow% on its own bahalf. O*KooCa
VS. &ldSpeth County, 28 g. ‘h;. (ed) 626.
You are, theroiore, advlsad that the oounty oommlsalonsrs~
oourt aannot eoqutra land for dralmga purposes until it is 6*-
termlned by the State tighuay Comu~larlon thatsuch land ia nso-
eaaary for the propar 8aintenanoa of aald highway. You am
further advlard t&t tho oouuty must also bo requaisoted by the
State Hl&hway Commissionto ooqulro aaid traot of land before
it ha8 authority to 60 80. I? it does not have auoh a roquaat,
it is not authorlashto prooure land ror Mid pUTpOa6.
Ho sincerely trust that the above fully snawera your
lnqulry, wo are
Y0urs very truly
ATT@BWKGEXSfW,OFT~S
RHCtN