Affirmed by WW-lo&
Honorable Charles S. McMillan
County Attorney
San Augustine, Texas
Dear Sir:
Cpinion'NumberO-2126
Re: Qualificationsof
iroters in bond
elections.
We acknowledgereceipt of your letter of recent
date wherein you ask for an opinion on the quallfloatlons
of voters in bond elections.-You particularlyask for
oi.@'
constructionof the Supreme Court's opinion in‘the
case of Gus A. Marlcows@, et al vs. J. T. Newman, et al.,
136 S.W.(2d) 808.
In our Opinion Number o-1178, a copy of which
loIn.this
is enclosed her----,___--dsnnrtment held
-.-~.that
__r__.~._-~~ ~..~ "all oer-
sons-who had paid their ~0~11tax and who owned taxable
or was assessed
Ntlcle2955a, Vernon's
Ai-bottited CiViI Statutesj
Campbell vs. Wright,/95 S.W.
(2d) 149; TexasPublic UtFlLties Corporationvs. Rolland,
123.~S.W.(2d) 1028). In thatopLlnlonwe also called
attention-tothe lact that there was pending before the
Supreme Court a.certified question in the case of
Markowsky vs: Newman, et al., from the Galveston Court
of Civ11 Appeals-,as to the oorrect interpretationof
Article 2955a, Vernon's
.~
Annotated Civil Statutes.
However, after studyingthe case it is our
opinion that the court held that the fact that taxpayers
Honorable Charles S. McHillan, page #2
did-nbt r$nder th8l.rproperty untF1 after the tiiueset
by’ statute (Artlole 1043; R. 6; 3.).did n6t preveiit
theiPf&m voting. It #eei~s~that~th6 fatits.ln“thXs case
we'rethat 811 of thk~taxpayershad actu8lly‘rendered
their prapertj f-ortax&i&n prior tb the eli$ction but
afuep the tX.meset "3::statute foFmakiag thq rehdiflon.
The Cotit held that hb statuth~settlng the time by
which rbaditibn must bc-made~.vab'airecto~and-not-
mandtitbrj.We think-that-there&sbiiln&tisijd by-tile
Supeme Court in'~thisciiWiiiai~ai%sVery btiiMi@jrthat
the court might hold-that asseijsment; m the tisseiaor
iiouli3hot be shfficibtitand that the pPoperty“mustbe
Mud&&d by the-tai@~etihiibself'~ Hiiwuver,ti do b6t‘
bellevijthat tht'cabb i3anbe construed to foti a basis
of a re'varsalof'.Campbbll vs. Wlght and‘Texas'FubIic
Utllltieb Coiijporatioa"vb. Holland, oh the polnt:thiIt It
is nbt‘heces&rjrttipsi-s~tilly‘aign a rendition sheet
in order to be eligible to vote.
Until the Suprbme Cou% act!-on this pelnt,
we feel that the ~jpln~ousof the CbuNb of'Clvi1Appeals,
cited'&bove,Is thb'law of'this State ani?&shouldbe
fol1oubd'l.ngiving 'yourlnstruatirnasto election
officials.
Trusting Chat this answers your questtoni we
are
Very truly yours
ATTQWEYGEXERALOFTEXAS
BY Claud 0. BGotLrman
COB-s:mjs Assistant
APPROVEDMAY 21,_.190
/s/ Gerald C. law&
ATTORmEPW3EElALCFTEXAS APWOVED
Qpinioa'
Committee
By BUB
Chairman