Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

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