Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS / AUSTIN j GROVLRSLLLII1* ATIO”*m” G.IIC”AL BonoraI@e Chae.‘A. Tomb, Oounty Auditor Records Building Dallas, Texas -. Dear Ibr.Tosohr tion with the State Highway h has been reoeived, ssioner Lyqn Lamther to cppeer Production Board in Tashing- t2e interest of the couple- .~ i?hrrayEio.183, which is al- e North Ft. Forth Eoad. This been held up by the Tar Pro- after the contract m20 let by the State RightieyConmission -- and oon- alderable amount of gork had already Bean dono. "1 would like an opinion Prom your de- partment as to whether or not the expense ,of this trip can be paid by’LiallasCounty,, and if eo, out of which fund.” Honorable Chas. A. Tosoh - page 2 . . / Article 6875 of the Revised Civil Statutes ebuthorizesthe State Bighway Commissionof Texas to take over and nainta$ the various State highways in TeX89. The first serjtenoeof said Artlole reads: aThe dommiseion is authorizedto take owe and maintain the various State high- rays 3.nTexas, and the counties throu@~ . mh.lchsaid highway passes shall be free from any aoet;, expense or supervisionof suoh highways.* In Iverson vi Dallas County, 110 s. w. 12) 235, .the oourt inconatrulng the above Article and ~theother : statutes relative to the powers end organizakion~ol’ the State Bighway ConmrLsslon, held that when the State~Blgh- e way Department took over the control, management and main- tenanoe of a State hLghv3y, the county lost control there- of inso.far as'Its main~enemceand upkeep are concerned. It appears froy,yourletter that the State High- way Co~!&esioahas taken charge of the road project in queetion,.endhas let the oontract,forths building there-, '~ of.~,teepresume.that said hl~hway i.3fioaa partof the State highwey system. If ne are correct'in thie essump- tion, then the maintenanceand upkeep 'the~reof13 not county business. Based upon the above assumption,itis our opti- Ion that the expenses of the County Judge and County Corn-~ missioner ingoing to F;ashJ.ngLonfor the purpose named cm- not be paid out of the Road and Bridge Fund, or emy other fund, of Dallas county. SInme Dallas County Is not required to build or maintain the road in queetlon, the proposed trip to Cash-, ~ ington rould not be in furtheranceof county road husinees. pry truly'yours Geo. I?.Bsroue AsBi8ta.nt