OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Eonoreblo John A. Shook
CrMin8l NatMat httomey
San A8toRi4, to%88
Ekar sir1 Attentloar 1QI. Jay
‘ th8 opeF8t1on of
the al- of
Statutea, providest
n 18, of the Constitutloa of ~wc.ae,
oounty 0d6Wme~, %ith the
offtioeo, rtmll oompmo the oounty
8hal.lexeawCQ18eauab pouelrrand
Snow, aa la oonlemed by
f
Hon. John R. Shook, P-0 P
Artiale 1603, Verntmgs Oivll Statutm, pravidasg
"The oouaty oomlssloae~s oowt o? osah oounty,
as soon as prsaticabloattor the estsbl%sbmsnto?
a aaunty setat, or sit* its rsmoal ?roa ane plaas
to snothor, shall pwride a eourt lwwe aad jau
?OP the aouaty, and 4rfl088 for oounty orru~~
at suoh aouaty seat ud keep the saw in good ~~pallr.'
Art3010 @I)l, subdivlsloa7, pmvldes that the
ooaaieslone~saourt shsll p#cwido nnd ksep in npalz aowrt
howea, Jails aad all neausary publla butldiaga.
Artiols 6872, sup&s, is fouad aadl?ied %n tbs Rsvlnd
Statutes o? Texas, 1879, uade~ Title 76 relating to publla
buUd.@s and gmtmds, u Artlale 3676, sad is brou@t famml,
lnaorpamtsd in Vezwm~s Statutes Mthout any ahsngs in its
l-&w&P.
Your rsqwst neasss8Nly eelIs for s 04nstru4tlonof
the f4~0golng authorities. In the qwstian submittsd, you we
the VOW "superviseand aontFol.a These vorda are often wed
synosymowly, tit& the vard la o a t.rde?lned
o l* by 'Webster'sAev
fnternational Dioti4aaFy a8 the Qot of eJcePoising
lnflwnaa over todomlnatet regulate;
%ixg %i?uttcm, to ourbg 1ui joott ,..”
6872, supm,
th ele~ise o f p o ver s
ia the
vested g2wtsd to the o~rrionew
~awtov6~oouDtyjqept~~ it i8 belSwedtb*tthev4pds
0haPge” 'oontrol
ud u wed r4114wed
in tilllo rtrtllte, aAn&
bY the restrioting l,angm@, 'Oublb~ $4 swh Psptf4ns as
a3 ooldsai4aer8 oourt "a3 vere us0 in a restrlo-
tive 8ens0, vtth the v4a-d a~ m tsehag "a duty 4~ obl:ppation.”
aouv~ea T*ivWotioaaaq, Srd Rd., D* 459, define8
“O~P&’ m 8 duty of oblQ8tloa btposed upon somspsmoa . . .
an UadU~ to kssp ths 6urrtodXa? another psmoo'r gaods.a
79
A~tielo 5, Seation 18 of the Constltutlan,oon?errIng
wan ~mitsisrionsro oourts the power and fuModiotisn 4~4~ all
trQlhd by say judi3ial trm.kwdJ in th* sbsewe Of
fPoud, oorPuption,4P uarair daalIng.w 7 Eao. or
-8 966.
Xt Vu held in &dSOn v. i'&Wshrrt(at. Cit. App.),
118 &t.tf, (26) &I, that the Oormi88hWF8 e-t, b&I&$ 0-d
vith the duty O? p~vidin(l a 40wth4usa, bar at 1Oaot ImPlied
authority ta rsgulat, ths wo thereof vIthfn naoumble baunda.
It has general4 been reo4/gnlJsedt-t the mr-
iow sottatie8 et this state that the miatmkknc%eJ mp*i* ad
and Jsilo (Art. 5ll3, V.A.U.S.),
upkeep af oouaty oO\Urtbousss
th* o@oymnto? Ja&tossand extnlab4rlnandab4utths
04taWwum awl pWse0, Nl
On the athop hand, the
UtQ duty Of Sa?akSSPlll&
tb o pepox-ty In th el4na
keys snd sass that all mso4aable
btorde*ef theoomIsaiwers
and aot viofirted.
fo R I*r
o p ia rioea
a der
W th
edlo
depsrtasnt wo+%i%al&w4h
vler
‘7, 19& urd VPitten by Bonorable 3, ?r. taowyJ t&W rttemy
~llbaulo?Texu,?ound inthsboumIreportoa8trpZnio~ o?
thy Attorney oan~ral of~exas, 1W1-l6, P. 96.
80
Eon. &hn R. ShOokI m t r
wa derth efOwg 4 inglutbritie8J it $8 thorMore
the o p la lo n dspertmsnt that ths oomioslmers oourt
e? this
or a aounty haa the pavep and auttmlty to sup6rvIee and
oonW41 the araintsmnos of ooua%houaea, Int2ludingthe ?urnIoh-
lag or 1 ts, heat mid p-over, the opwation o? elevators,
T amIng of tha PwpLtoOS~ In so ?aF as saw is neass-
and the o
sary Ia the sxa~lloe tharso?, by ~gulatlono vhioh are resson-
lblsi
Yours very truly
ATTORSS!i i3ERERAX, OB TEXAS