Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

Ifoaorablm 080. A. Hi&t, Chid Aoo4untanf Roar43 oi Oopnty sad Dlstriot Road fadobtedww Austin, Texas Dear art oplaon Hutnbw O-2320 Ret Right of a oountf to uw funds omdltod to road dimtrio undar tia w!, prrawaph 3, m&moetian ( 1, SwUoa “g 6 ai Hou0. I3111 688, Bwd by the ?orty-abth T.a&islatgr*, P egtll~P8H8bJa‘1939. Wa a-0 in roodpt of yaw mqwst far an optntoa Y the tollowb& qaentioat Vloru a&v168 this d*p8rtwat uh8ther or a& .oithaouutymay el*otto we tha fuads and1s.d to the a&#?* kltltriot wdw optiw 9" oi srrtwl (h) , Hottw R&xl 688, for ths owsteuetloa of iarm- to-writ& roads mtta;tacr srpith Bwnty PIti Dtstrlrk Hw. 2, 5 aad 6." roads subsequaat to Septeti 17. X9992, and pIor to Samwry 2 1939, were dwigaa8.a 8s atala hi&may*, at0l whr the gav- vhmtt of l&use Bill688 8aSd ob‘uCltiow koawellg~Uo for partlolpationin the funds loarul,agto tha County and Rued Dicltrlot if&hway Fwl. Lik.ewlr* diotriots bau 4llgl- bitt for ntroaotlv~ peymeat6 dat ?rw the deai8aadlon of rraLd roads as a pati of the SW88 Bystem to January 2, 1939 88 Is provided in ruiwobion (af Q? rSotiua 6 OS Howe ldll 688. Purewant to luoh prori&nk thmra is mm oa head to the oredlt of the above nawd rod di6trlOt8 ag8a%n mtm# o? mosey npr*tiea* rotrosotl*e paymeuta mada by tha state In ocmpliawa tith uuoh law, lt8lin iurther 0cmpl.b awe such sum hers beoa ore,ditedto the Letoral Rwd hb oouat of Edth County for the beadit oi Reed Dfatrleta SW. 2, 5 and 6. Reduolng your qwatiou to $ts mi#@lW% ioOrm,m WII- strue it to ba - -yfay?&&th a@uttty,t&B6 oouaty, UN fuadn (uador option TJ* ai said bill) belsnpsiogto road dlstrieta t3ltwted within said aount P* unless chew made Qoamew SODIOaheraoter distingulshjw I Mm from fUad* whioh tm gkn- axany aUaaeted to spealfi~ reuip2eatn am? are rawrtid 60iay 88the ztrowrt~ of twh reolpl~ata.*a must00telod6 that tbb oauaqf Is wIthoutauthorityt0 use 8uohrtlnda inang raannsrbth6rthaa thatvlcfab aill aonier a dirsotbaasfS* upon the dlatriot entItled therato. tieaall year attention to the laaguaga used ln gwma- ga~&~,Sao$ion 1 ot Hoaos B1l.l688, ukSoh reada: in part, * * l * st 1 8 r tt~th sr ae4amd t0 b 0 th 0 p 0u 0y of the Btatm to take over, 8aqaIr0, purahase and retain the Iat6restsad equities ofths variau8 bounties aad aa50a road dIatrIot8 in and to the hl&waya a0tpraviousl.ytakenover, aeqfxirm'tid purohaaed,st@ oowtItutlagonJattuary2 1939.a pyt,of the 81ptem ai dea%#tetedStat0 hb?8y8, And tt 18 hereby detsri&ned that tM fur- ther &mi8lont~ OS this A88 eoastitute iair. jwt and eqtitablsoaqen8atIoa, repaymmt r2d rti buromat to 8-h oountlas and daffned rood die-’ trieta ani for their aid and aiuazlta ttha !iRziz-Ln tho 6owtrwtIw of %at* h&zaY:: +*+ andbl.lydiaahox-g~s thole&ly %mp&d oblige- ’ tlolu ef th8 Btstste aompeasato,rapay8ndrv* borw t&r agwalw of f&m %ato for aapwew Ia- ottaT& at the iststanw aad uolI~tatlmt es ?iha State a8 well attifa- uw lsta~ ter the bea@& or tiwbstata =q (tM~rMwr~ itttrtt)~ If am alwr to us that th* wgl8htm Lot&& toropayandraSmbwwd*fi~rwd~~cu~~u, aountles, for thdx aid 8nd ewbtewe ia the wwtzaelfix1DoI ofstab'~ Mdthet8$lZVw~~~~ths~m dul8a-d ta *txta&ta ialr, just an& equit8Ue oupwmt;Lon for suah ase%etanw, subtteutl~ (a) or 6m0tion 6 dwm8 thr mfmotl prb setsbad by the-LegZsl8ture to errsot tkEs .re at sna nlm- burwmMt, Sn pmaeaph 3.theeof, sitar at~ible r0r par$loipaffon~maohroMft aa had bwndes&nutad a part of the State Dystm pdor to 3natlax-y 2, X939, it la gnnided - mf suah Indelttdaw8, the prooeeda~ot aoh hata b80Stwti in th* aowt.rttatiw a@ rmda whiah have ken dasi@atd a8 a part of the State H&#tway Spitat, agter ~Soptenhr X7, 1932. aad prier to Jawwg shall particrlpatw%tn8a%d County and 2, 19.959,. clad Dlatriat rrigbuayPnM as of th8 data of the da84pnatIorr OS said road es a part of the hat6 6t8tw ' * *~*~+Dal%& that Latttrvalbotwun tb dwigaation of the mad and t&a tinrs whan HOUSE Bslx 688 btmm crifeetlra,rwloua wantIe and de- fittadroad diatrlttta ooatixmed to d2aakar@e and pay oblkatlcwia areatad fox the oortietruatl~~ awhrosbo, atitheStat@ QQP- elder%ng Itettlf iledly tiblirusted to repay suoh eountls~a and define& mad distr 9 ots ror the fuals tsosxpeaded, it authorlwd rstroaatIre paymats by tha Shard ei Cwty and Diptrlat R-d Indebtednsse ta aoeosrplishtbhiarain%-nt. sn sosardww with the info~matlaa.tq3atained la your letter, we as~um that saeh fuat28.es are nus unedited to the VariOW dsfiaad rmd dl8trlot8, above anumsratad, In the Latarel Wad Awount & this eoun&y, relpreaentauuh iu@a as are prcprldadto be!peid pttmt8tttthereto~ It sews, Mmrafore, that there oati k little doubt Mat that thee h&a ore tha l3lstrfats NOB, 2, 5 t3na4, ~3 *rotidr10t I% RB:$wt to di8bur8#bmtttby ths OOUtI8yfor say puxpwe othar th8a the8 witlath rcouldocmmr 0 dlreot bermfit upon na texpaysxa living within sUO~ X-OSd dfSCri4!88- - In paragraph 5, eubaeotion (h) of %otioa 6, vw find the J,,egi8lotuM*~ia8truotioM tutto hrrvfun&s rmining in the ZatsrcllR&a&PunCi 8hal.fbe QIabummd, and tills apparent- ly the langaaga use4 pertain8 aerlgto fund8 of 8 county rc malnisg in suoh fad, we think the Intention vms oleerly The pertinent pert of the law r01l.ouat “?titU%t MtSBiaing in the &tOraf Read ?tUld Or 84 oountyaitor the paymat of aaIdri@t-of-wayob;Li- gattioea, lasy b8 used by the aounty unaer the airee- tloa crfthe eomals8lcumrV court for-any oae or al.1 or the ta11miag 9mpo*e*t (ft) fCU’ the ~4tqUiSitioa ef rights-ot-wey fur ooanty latarsl road@, and for the psyeantoilogal ObalI&st.I~ In-d thdor litSOO&tZ3tOtl8th8tth~8&&i~~ ZUWeairsrr(lthB faotthstd~in~rord~trIO~'LuQaet~ paror to a& Iroli~jrSallooeted to it unaer tJn ~iShf%~S or thI.8hot, 8nd baaed that power properly in the hands of the Cad8810mr8~ kurt but It fuxthm rociwad, ad ia rrldrnt la Wetlon (bf Nhare'the term *ro8d dlstriOt* is usad for the Slrst amI oaly tlmo In that puregraph, that the only oontlttuiag reaponatbil- ity of the xv&idd&at&at WaP to ratirr swh bond0 08 had buM authorired bJ tb te~y0X-U liti- Vd.tbilh 8Wh h?bI& e#. t&t the eonstru~tloa and Lpprovemmt of hterkl road8 rJlae Within SUob adined iUe8 Wasat& Oui@wOn Oi the eOUn$y xn the abaonao of eprrolalaatian by tha taxpsyors living tit&in that 8TIS 8UthOl’i%i~ th iS- of beads for thu purp8s Of 00MtWdittg iS$*rOi FOBaS WithiR Ou8h #SW&V. mmh read8 as exist within a rowi dlotrlet that ham not been buIlti with fuztdsprovided bx the rosd aiBtriOt8 A8 8~6h, oaapriw a part of the munty lateral ~64 ayetom nbieh shwld b8 paid for with 00tttttgtunas, IItthirr%lWtSIIB(I, fUn%S Blell- tioned in your letter represmtt a repqmat by the ,P;tsfe G@ p~anegezppandedby the taapayom of those dlstrlots and the benlilt of auoh repayment, urrderthe term of the Aot, $8 intutaea tar the tarpyere l.ivLkwwithin the arm, aid6it is OUT0pinion that auohbetirita sh0d.a be eonfermU d.Immt- AouordiJlslJ. we must ad&Se thrat,in OUT op%nion, the county fs~withuat snthoritp to we the funds apeaI.flaal- 1~ urrrdlted to the mrloua dsiimd road dlntrlets by the ter&saZ 6hb A6ttWaaf &~r@444 uollptthat rhiohrouZd uoafer 8Ulrae6 buwit upon the taxpywa llvlm3tithin t&we pertfwlu ddimd road districts,and in haroloBy with eu4hoonetrwt~eRw48l6v~4t~tth4 wM.lltyoem#t 4qJedl ro8.u uistr;*6 aoa.7~ pux4uaRt to th4 option prcJvlU*U La STation *IPi paregraph 5, subaeotlon (h), ~eot1o.a 6 of Wu8e Bi.ll686, By /a/ Cluenw E. Craw c1alwn0. k. tirm Aarlst8ut