Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

HonorableC: S, Clark Chairman,Board of Water Engineers AustFn,Texas . Dsar,Sir: opinionNO. b-5938 Re: Does Article78%3(A) V.A.C.S.,contemplatethat. a Waster Di6trlctmay be createdso as to,embracein its,boundaries existing water controland improve- ment dlstrict~and fresh water iupply asitrictq ana also addltlonal,territory not b any pranieed district? And related questions. We acknowledgereceiptof your requestfor an opinionon a number of questionspertainingto the authorityof the Board of Water Engineersto createHarris CouutyWater Controland ImprovementMaster D+trict No. 1. We have been furnishedwith Briefs on the questionsby Judge James V. Allred of Houstonaud HonorableJ. E. Sturrock,Statisticianof your Board, aud by HonorableC. D. Jessup of Houston. We have given carefulconsideration to the argumentsfor the proponentsand opponentsof this proposedDistrictand we agree with both in some instancesand disagreewith both in others,but in view of thefact that we have determinedto answer questionsnumberedone and two as hereafterindicatedwe deem it unnecessaryat this time to answer the other questionssubmittedby you. Since,as statedby you, this is the first petitionfor the creation of a master districtwhich has been submittedto your Board, there have been no adjudicatedcases dealingwith the subject. We think that Mr. Sturrock has answeredquestiousone and two in accordancewith our views and we are thereforetakingthe libertyof quotingextepsivelyfrom his Brief. The law is well settledthat in construinga statutethe Legislative intent is given primary consideration.Iu 39 Tex. Jur. #pO, page 166,,it is said that: "The intentionof the Legislaturein enactinga law is the law itself; 'the essenceof the law', and 'the spiritwhich gives life' to the enactment. Hence,the aim and objectof construction HonorableC. S. Clark,Page 2 (O-5938) ie to ascertainand enforcethe ~egialativeintent,and not to defeat,nullifyor thwart It". "When the intent is plainlyexpressedin languageof a statute,it must be given effectwithoutattemptingto construe or interpretthe law. On the other hand, when it is necessary to construean act in order to determinsits propermeaning.it is settledby a host of decisionsthat the co&t-should f& endeavorto ascertainthe leglrlativeintent,from a general view of the whole enactment. Such @tent havingbeen aacer- tained,the court will then seek to construethe statuteso as to give effectto the purposeof the legislature,as to the whole and each materialpart of the law, even thoughthis may mve a departurefrom the strictletter of the law as writ- ten by the Legislature. "This la the fundamentalcapon and the cardinal,primary and paramountrule of con+-uctlon,which shouldalwaysbe closelyobservedand to which all other rules must yield. In- deed, In the conrrtruction of civil enactments,the courtsare expresslyconvaanded to 'lookd1~igentl.y~for the intentionof the Legislature,keepingin view at ali times the old law, the evil, and the remedy." (Underscoring ours). See Article10 V.A.C.S. Keepingin mfnd the above quoted "fundamentalcanon and ths cardi- nal, primaryand paramountruben of statutoryConstNction,we wU.l discuss questionsnumbersone and two. QuestionNo. 1 "DoesArticle7880-3 (a) V.A.C.S.,contemplatethat a Master Districtmay be created60 as to embracein its bouud- aries existingwater controland improvementdistrictsand fresh water supplydistrictsand also additionalterritory not in any organizeddistrict?" Article7880-3, V.A.C.S.,is section3 of Chapter25, GeneralLaws of the RegularSessionof the 39th Legislature,1925, as amended. 0riginall.y section3 read as follows: "Sec. 3. Water controland improvementdistrictsmay be organizedunder the provisionsof Section59 of Article 16 of the Constitutionfor any one or more of the purposes thereinprovidedas follows: "Includingthe control,storing,preservationand 131s: tributionof its waters and flood waters,the waters of its riversaud streams,for irrigation,power a@ all other use- ful purposes,the reclamatiouand irrigationof its arid, HonorableC. S. Clark,Page 3 (o-5938) semi-aridand other lq~ds needing irrigation,the reclamation and drainageof its overflowed&nds and other lands needing drainage,the coneervationand developmentof its forest,wa- ter and bydro-electricpower, the navigationof Its coastal and inlandwatera,and the preservationand coneervation of all ruch naturalresourcesof the State." Section4 of aaid Chapter25 (Art. 7880-4)prescribesthe area or areas that might be includedin a water controland improvementdistrictand reads aa followa: "Sec. 4. Such districtsmay includethe area of any county or counties,or any portionthereof,includingtowns, villages,or municipalcorporations.Such districtsmay in- clude any county,any number of counties,or any political subdivisionof the State,ana defineddistrictor parts of any or all countiesiu the State of Teraa." (Underscoring oura). In 1927 the LagialatureamendedSection3 of Chapter25 (Acts 1927, 1st C.S. 40th Leg. ch. 107, p. 496), aud added the followingJsnguage~: "and such districtswhen organizedshall have power to controlany 6hortageor harmfulexcess of waters by any me- chanicalmeans". In the same Act, the LegislatureamendedSection4 (Art.7880-4) by adding the followinglanguageto the originalAct: "and the land composingsaid districtsneed not be in one body, but may consistof saparatebodies of land sepa- rated by land not embracedin the district;provided,how- ever, that each segregatedarea must cast a majorityvote in favor of the creationof the districtbefore such seg- regatedarea ten be includedin the district. "Providedthat no districtprovidedfor in this Act shall embraceterritorysituatedin more than one county exceptby a majorityvote of the propertytax paying vo- ters residingwithin the territoryin each county sought to be embracedwithin said District". Now than let us look for the legislativeintent Fn the passageof the originalSections3 and 4 aud in the imendments adoptedthereto. Under the water controland improvementdistrictAct, as amended in 1927, au ordinarywater controland improvementdistrictcould,and may now, be createdto embrace "any countyand number of countiesor any politi- cal subdivisionof the State, and defineddistrictsor parts of any.or all countiesin the State of Texas",that is--embraceall the territorynow ‘. L . HonorableC. S. Clark,Page 4 (O-5938) propoeedto be includedin the HarrisCountyWater Controlana Improvement Waster DistrictNo. 1. But there was no provisionIn the law authorieing existingdistrictsto act jointly,pool and coordinatetheir facilitieeand resources,and operateworks for t&e commonbenefitof the severaldistricts. Thereforethe Legislature,In 1929 (Acts 1929, RegularSession&et Leg. Ch. 280, p. 578) furtheramendedSection3 (Art. 7880-3) for the sole purponeof enablingdistrictaalreadycreated,or that may hereafterbe created,"under Chapter25 or under &ther Chapter2, 3, 4, 6, 7 or 9 of Title k~8", to or- ganizethemnelveeinto a "MasterDistrict"in order to "pooltheir resource0 when necessary economicallyto make preliminaryBuurveyr, to adopt 8 plan to coordinatethe plants,improvementsan@ facilitiesof the severalconOtltuent districts,to the improvementsand facilitiesproporedto be constructedand furnished by the Waster Dietrict,to provide improvementsfor the commonbene- fit of the severaldistricts,or to enable such districtrjointlyto make pur- chases,or to maintab, or to operateworks for the commonbenefit of the E- era1 districte". (See Art. 78&-3(c). Sectionh (Art. 7880-4) was not amsndedby~the 1929 Act, which we think clearlyshows that the Legislatureintendedthat only those areas em- braced in one or more districtacreatedand operatingunder Chapter25 or un- . der eitherChapter2, 3, 4, 6, 7, or 9 of Title 128, may be includedin a Master District,otherwise,it would have amendedSection4 so as to provide that districtsto be Waster District6may embraceareas includedin defined districtsas well as areas not includedin any defineddistricta6 it did do in the passageof Art. 7622a,V. A. C. S., in 1927, relatingto water improve- ment districts. e Art. 7880-3 relatingto the crea- The languageused iu that part o- tion of "MasterDistrict",such as "(b) Districtsto be createdas &aster Dis- tricts. . .*; "(c) Districtsto be createdas Master Districtsmay be created in order to enable districtsto pool their resources~etc. a ."; (d) "Such Districtswhen createdshall have the power to levy and collecttaxes, O a . which shallbe in additionto other taxes that may be lawfullylevfedby the severaldistrictsconstitutinga part of such Master District";"(e) m . s constitutea separatevoting unit, and 11.oexistingdistrictmay be included in a Waster Districtunless the proposalso to do is approvedby a majority of the voting qualifiedelectorsof such constftuentdistrictJfl clearlydic- tates a negativeanswer to QuestionNo. 1 and It is so answered. Questl.on Ko. 2 "Does the statutecontemplatethat a ordinarywater con- trol aud improvementdistrictmay 'bedesignatedand act as a Master Districtfor itselfarLdother districts,or does it con- templatethat a separateMaster Estrict &all be createdt.o Act for all?" The History of the water controlsrd improvementdistrictAct lead- ing up to the amendmentof Sectiou3 (Art. 7880-3) thereof in 1929, and the expressprovisionsof said section,au*wer this questionto the effectthat HonorableC. g. Clark,Page -5(o-5938) the statutescontemplatethat 8 eeparateMaster Districtshallbe createdto act for all'co@ituent distr&ct.r, which is a furtherreasonwhy QuestionNo. lshouldbe anewwed inthe negative. The petitionnow before the Board eeeks the creationof Harris Cow&y Mater Co@zol and ImprovementMa#er Dletrlct no. 1, having all the power8 of an ordlnwy water controland improvementdia- trict over the uno?eited territory,and, at the eeme time BE a l&setter Dletrict for itselff3nd12 exlettingdl*rlctr. There la no authority,expreenor implied in the water controlend improvemeqt dlltrict Act for any such set-up. We, therecore,hold t&t the correctenewer to questionNo. 2 Ie that the etatuteecontempl+ie@~PeparateMatier Districtshall be createdto act for all conetituentd@tTictl in matteraof commonbenefitto the several districts. Your6 yery truly APPROVEDMAY 15, 1944 moRNEY - OF TEx4.s /I-S/ Oeo. P. Blackburn (Acting)ATWXWEX - OF TEXAS By /s'/Fagan Dickson Fagan Dickson Aeeist@, FD:ncd:lm APPROVED OPINION CoEQIlTpEE BY /e/ OS CBAZRMAN