450
,
OFFtCE OF THE AmORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
w c.MANN
- oL*-
Ronor8ble Alfred E. Crol.&, Jr.
county Attoraoy
Terrell county
.Waderson, Texas
approvrland fir-
the authority of
ohmltrble rpjwo-
or uy rund8 of
0 oltheloe82 Bed
qJprolml,~adoptloil and SilAag
t rithln the l uthorlty OS thq
ourt to qzpkopr~te Oouleq fuada .
ot a 8alu-y for the dounty Agent
mdo PO pr0lT1sloa for th8 *mplo~-
ment of such Ageat or e~nn.8 for rush purpoao?"
We hrvo beea unable to find sn~ conatitutloarl or
atAtut0l-y mlthority lfhereby the oQmmlssloaors' aourt of your
.*
Honorable Alfred X. Crelgh, Jr., Page 2
county may employ a Wolf mapper and pay him a salary out of
county sunds.
The court8 of Texaa have repeatedly held that county
Commis8loMr8' courts may exarol8e only such ruthority aa ia
conferred by the Constitution and Statute8 of this State.
There are abmdant ruthorltiea to this effect. We cite the
follov1ilgr
Article 5, &action 18, Tabas Constitution)
hrtlcle 2351, Re~lsed Citil Statute8 oi TVX88j
Texas JUFi8pXWd8ll00, Vol. 11, pg88 563-566;
Blsnd Y8. OrC, 39 8-w. 5581
i hIIll-WaFFOlZPublirhlng &X&pUiy V8. BUtOhi8Oll County,
45 S.W. 2d 651
Bogg vs. Caapbell, 18 8.W. 26 515;
Landmen vs# Stkto,g7 S.W. 26 264~
El Pa80 f%ilaty V8. Pa, 106 8.w. 26 393;
Rovard ~8. Readereon County, 116 S.W. 26 27911
&b8On VI. hF8hr11, 118 S.W. 2d 6211
w118 COUtlty 98. WUI COUllt~, 40 S.W. 404.
This department hu r8peat8dly ruled to the name ef-
sect. +r e-18, @p%nlon lo. O-591 of thl8 department held
t&t th8 OOId38iOIlO~8’ OOUPt Of tilVO8tOXl COU?ltJ, r8X88 Va8
vlthout'ruthorlty to expend oounty Fonda for the employmnt of
life guuds ior ~LV@8tOll Ebroh) Opinion HO..&1085 of thi.8
department held that th0 aOrri88iOaOM' c)OtUt Of krlOU County,
T8xss VW vlthout ruthorlty to pay the 8rtiry of a gam vwdenj
8&l Opinl~nMo.O-I.@9 Of thl8 de~tmat h8Xdthatthe O-8-
81OXW8! oOU& of Beus hlnty, T8%88 vu3 VlthOUt authority t0
expend county iunds Sor Sire protection from th8 City oi San
Antonio for out8lde th8 oity of San &tonlo and in the county.
Opinion Uo. O-1242 of thl8 d8pWtmnt holda that th8
COEld88iOJlOr8' OOUl't Of HOpkiM COUllty, Tex88 my not wy l
bounty for the de8truotion of Volvo8 , ooyot88 or pooket gophers
but that It nbny purohr8e with oounty iund8 pO18On tar th8 d88-
tructlon OS predatory anI- uad8r authority of Article 190,
RevI8ed Civil StitUte8. We enclocre herevlth a copy of 8eld
opinion.
-
Honorable Alfred E. Crelgh, Jr., Page 3
In anever to your first pueatlon you are reepect-
full7 advised that it is the opinion of thin department that
the comm.lesloneret court of your county hm no authority to
employ a Wolf Trapper and pay hFm a ralrry out of county
funds, regard1888 of vhether or not erar v18 placed In the
budget.
.;; Opinion Ro. O-1001 of th.i8 d8prrtaent holds that
the commlneloner8’ court doea not have authority to donate
collaty *de to the American Red Cm86 and other charitable
organlzatlon8. we eIXJ108e +wevlth & Copy Of 8ald opinion.
In Mwer to your kecond qU88tiOa you 8re respect-
fully rdvi8ed that it :.8 the opinion of this department that‘
1:the Comml88loaer8' OOurt of your county doe8 not hv8 8uthor-
' it.7 to doPrt8 county had8 to the American Red Croae, regard-
le?s or vhether, or not 8am va8 placed in the budget.
lirtkole 164, Vernon*8 Texan kuiOtat8d Civil Statute8
PMd8 a8 fOliOV8:
"The Cm881oner8' court of any oouaty of
thl8 8tate ls\ruthorlsed to establish and conduct
oo-operative domormtratlon vork in Agrloulture
and Home Econoria8 in co-Oper&tlon vlth the Agrl-
cult&p81 mad Uechanlaal COllOgO of Teu8, upon
such%eram rrd condition8 l8 my be agreed upon by
ti'l0
COWi88iOaOr8' Court UId the &Oat8 Of the
Agricultural and aeahmloal College~ot Texas; and
my employ 8uCh ~8~8, urd may approprirte and 8x-
p#Mtd 8uCh 8UIU Of WXi8y a8 nUy be AeOO88U'y t0 Of-
feotlvely e8tablish and oarry oa such demon8trrtlon
vork in Agriculture and Boa8 RCOnOniC8 in their
m8pOCtiVO OOUXltiO8."
The above quoted statute ruthorlse8 the county aom-
m18010ners1 court to establleh and condwt Co-operstiVe demon-
stration vork in rgrlculturo in co-operation vlth the Agricul-
tural and Heoknlcrl College of Terna, upon much term and
condltlone M may be agreed upon by the commleelonerel oourt
UM~ the Agente of the Agrioultwl and Hecbmical College of
Texas . Agricultural agents are employed by the counties under
said statute.
Eonorrble Alfred t. Onlgh, Jr., Page 4
We quot8 from ArtJdLe 68*-11, Vernon'8 Texa* AMO-
tated Civil btStute8 88 iOllOv8:
(1....When the budget h8 bun fFrvlly rp-
proved br th8 OOWi88iOMr8' OOuFt, the budget,
a8 approved by the court rhall bo filed vlth the
clerk of th8 aounty oourt, Md tax88 levied only
ln lc o o r dumeth8ruvlth, ld no lxp8sdltnre of
the fund8 of the aouaty 8-11 therWt*r b8 rde
lxoopt in 8trlot oompllume vlth the budgvt u
adopted by the aourt. txaept th8t 8mrgMcy
OXpMditUM8, in OUO Of@'UO PUbliO MOO88ity, t0
rot ummual ud unfOr88&a aondltlonr vhloh oould
not, by reammably dlllgo~t thought and attention,
have been included ln the orl@wl budgot, ry
from tire to time be lAharlwd by the court u
--IIt to the orl@nal bud@...."
A8 t0 Vh+t OOB8titUte8 "&rrVO pub&2 Il80088ltf l8
that term 18 u&d izrArtlale 68%-11, 8upra, depend6 upon
the furt8 in uah o&88 and l8 l question prlmrlly to be
pu8ed oa by th8 OOllpi88iOwr8' OOuTt. 808 0pini0n Ro. C-
1053 Of thi8 deputmnt.
Oplnlou Uo. C-1022 of thl8 depwkwnt hold8 that
th0 Corni88iOMr8' OOWt my hl&ly @@Or 8 OOUllty hOm
dmOn8t~tlon *at (under the prot18ibXA Of hrtio1v 164, v.
T.A.0.8.) a nd g u y her l 8dUy for the wmining five month8
of1939, even thf3u@ana pl'OV281OZbVti mdo ror the 8mploylmlt
Of 8Uah a g O& w ,r VOW lIIQ fWd88et l8id8 fOr the pWpO80
in the ootmty budget Sor the mu 199, I? the sam ~88 a cue
Ofl ( p r Wg b Wb .AWO t0 O 88it~
met ‘:
UXlWuril Uld UDfOl'OWWn
oOadltlOn8%%Ukb oould not, by n~8onSbly dlllgont thou$ttud
attention hm been inaluded la the orlglml budgot,' and tlmt
th8 d8t8milStiOn Of thi8 f-t 188tu -8 iOr thv OOnriU8iOnOr8'
court. We enolo8e herevlth & 80py of 8rid opinion.
The ansver to your third que8tlon vi11 depend upon
vh8th8r or nOt mm8 18 & 0-0 Of "grrvv publio SWOv88lty, t0
Honorable Alfred E. Crelgh, Jr., Page 5
meet unusual and unforeeeen conditions vhich could not, by
reasonably diligent thought 84 ltt8ntlon have been lnclud-
ed in the original budget." It 18 the province of the com-
mlraloners~ court to determine this fact question.
Very truly yours
ATl'ORXEYoEllpRALOFTIsMS
Wm. J. Fanning
d’ Assistant
WJFrAW