OFFICE OF THE All-ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honorab& B. L. uwh8urn, page 2
Honorable Ii.L. Ueehburn. page 3
Lpdivldual aontreat with each enplogee, Is a ml-
lity, for the rimple remon that the E?avigatlon
Dl8tr lc hutP O lUth Or lty
under the lt@ tUtu Oreat-
lng lt to lnuur any obligetlon which would oormti-
tute a ‘debt’. SO f8X 68 th. CfXWI%.S1OSlOr. UT
a ttemp to
t c r a +te
lu6h an Oblig.tiC#l by the &lop-
tlon of an order or re6olutlQtr,I think they we
alearly without 8uah authority, for the vary limple
rti.O<ht tbr &&i.~tUl'~h.EiOt qtVOLbthUanJ
8uOh paWar, eith e
l4~?e881~
r or by lm#ll@8tf~.
* so far l they may attempt to 0roet.eruuh an
O$%$$GiOA ip ttu iOl'AOt 8 OOlltIWt, it.et.0
t th 01y 1 0
r~a2.6
u.
lq w4 iy vithb tb a p in-
ion 0r ths ilq-0~~In the moat court
au0 of
9. Y. & x. 0. ~ilrQ& Gq V.. @dVO@taE1 COtAl-
ty, l&J 8. Y. 2n6 7l3. blthdM.8, ~~VOStQA
ooadip undrrtook to svke am rgceuant indrplirj-
~t.bO~~b?OfAd~Q~ @@JWt~. infUtUl’e
TUr.. The Court held that the County warn without
powor to auice such a~ agree6WAt, @akin& in part:
“~Publio poUog &maw38 taat definite Umita-
tiow be ploao& on the pore of the wreral poll-
tlul 8ubtUvi.8Lonrof our government to qmod
publit aozuy. A8 t0 OOORti~., the lirit&iOn 18
to pay ouh, that 18, to pay out 0r wrrmt rmmm38
oc tr0r rrradr wbin the i&m0 00m010r th8
oounty. Debt, With a ~OVi.iOSl at th0 tiu it 18
iEOWrO6 t0 pOy iPt8m.t and at &Ut tU0 -Et
OX th a p r io o ip rll
aoh yW2, t. tb w tit.PU-
tiva. If thi. ~OV5.8iOXl 18 ROt 8.60, the *debt”
i. l -ty. ehi8 i8 th0 rOqUhtMAt Of&t. xx,
sec. 7, arplrcr. It. bR@MlgS 18 lUWW.tVQOd. It
tOfQ@. th. PUbuO aO&' 4bS.lhd 80 OlOWl~ tht A0
a r mQr lg a lwy
o f g o ver Awnt
m h o a l6
attempt to 604
it.'
*TM Oourt ia the opinion from vhloh the above
qUOtetiOn i. t&On bU8d it. @~Oh8iOSh Upon tb0
lXpre.8 tam Of th. OOMtitUtl~ &WOV1810ll I’.-
f@m@d to, but, l UO UIUh r mtud 8h OaUthW%tiU
p~.vlOumly 8ubUtt.6 in OOanaMl- with the X'0qW.t
rQr the oplAloR abOV6 a8ntlou6, tha navlgrttai WI-
tr;ot authority 18 0v.A mom Co8triok6 than that
0r th0 c04mp 1 th.t.Ak it 18 OlW t&t tb #8Vi-
~t,iC.h Di.triOt m8 PO CUthCU’itJ t0 OrUtO 8ki Obli-
g&iQLI Vhi0h VOu;ld OOA@titUb a 'd&t' pyrbk Out
Honorable B. L. V8ahburn. page 4
Of the F"V~AU48 of futwa yeara without acPrglying
vlth the rar*pi rtatut0ry requiremud for the Ia-
lUMOO or bom&, UIA than only to the extent that
it i8 OXJ?Q?U.l7 WthOS’%8Od t0 f8.W 8U8h Obl%@-
t1oM. It a-8 t0.b.
OIUP to u tb&t W Boara
of Coamlm81oner8 auuiot, 61th~ by cyruktion or
by OwtrMt, aroete M obligation vith Lt8 em.-
loyeer to pay at an imiefialtetiPa In tb6 rutwer
Pa) Cmpenutlon ror tlin lost by rumon of in-
“It 8edDl OhU t0 m tht the IWig&lfm
Dbtriot Mm no l.mpU*d a’lthorityto make agroe-
merit8vbl8b amount to inst~8~~8 cmtr8ete with it8
rq?lO~OM, r~JJU'dlO.8 Of t&l4 fC@= Or OAOh Oantr&t.
"I reaognito tho taot that the Mvllyt%on Ma-
trlat mlgbt pmbebly 8nter into contr~otr vltb old
liarsiMWAOS 00ICpMh8 iOr pOuOf~8 Of iAWU4M
188Wd bl tMOr Of t& e 1q.O. Of the &Mi@iiW
Dlotriot. LiOut&Ol%l(k.~ @ItjCCiQS~V..&W
(COIL App.) 12 9. II. Pd mo, tirtimlitg,egg rli.
76, rohurlag tImlad (CM. App.) 16 8. Y. ad 533~
x#yiM& o88Wity COmpanY VI. hIth&OEd (aA %x)
36 Pe6. a6 986. I thbk, hovover, th a tlu8h l OQA-
tr ea t sould rmo~mmar1lybe Ilaltul to tbm owre~t
f8B8B~~~68t b r Or w l8 tb0 pWBUt Qr t$IJ&~
IA other vor68, the Nev
triot wuld ie ulthout mthorlty ta bl3 itaelr -
8baolutel.yto PJ the preBlWl8 On 8-h w1101e. la
futwo JeWa, @iIke.It 18 without lutbiWlty to
areate a *d.abt’. sh? fW a8 8UOh pr4IaiUM QA 8uoh
pollolmm vould be payable oUt a? ourrent rundr,
dOObtb.8 t.hqrwo;ildhave euthorrty to oontraat for
8UUh &10~OiM8.
%hO fWi@lOA DirtriOt 18 AOt 8Abj8Ot t0 th.
tfOPbYP’8 a-
Eonarable Ii.L. Wmmhburn, page 5
161 8. w. m 49. Thm lamt cited aame holdm that
l lta tutavhloh providmd thmt mnr pub110 oorporm-
tion in thlm ltate might m&m a pllmmtlcuimad lnt*r
into qreemntm fo r a a dhold p o pio lmmin mutua l
in-
our- o-em Ymm uaoonmt~totional mad void.
9I.nthlm 0ollwot1on, I ml80 no t* th a t l o a u ti-
tutlaaal madunt vu adopted Bovembmr 3, 19%, (Arr.
III, Smo. 590)by vblah thm Lm~lmlatur~ vu gltmn
povor to pama @ruohl8um a8 mmy bm namoemmryto
provida rar wrkman~m CacPpmnmation xnmurauom ior
oortaln 8tat* mmploymem am In it8 Judgmat 1m neo-
lmmmryor reqmiPed;mndtoplw*idm for thm pmy-
mmat or all momta, ohargmm, au6 prmmllmu an mu&
poll0108 of lamarmnae; providing thm St&m mhmll
aevor bm required to purohaao lnmursaao for my em-
plop.'
“Thm plan hero prop0804 18 dlmtinotly mr-
mntrromthe ponmionplaa oreakdby Ar%m. 8% to
6043 fe inoorporrtmd 01t1em hatiq a popalmt1ori
0r Over ten thow4ad. what thm statute 8ppemr8 to
oontompl~to, laaly#e4ng tha pmnmloal fua4,lm 8
zirit4tiaa 0r mbguty to tb0 lp00iriO rund. Bpd
vm. City of Dmllmm, ot al., 6 8. Y. %I Ys~ C&t
of al&m, et il. w. %wmiaell, 101 a. Y. bd d9.
*a 0atiaiz. mh th0 r0w08t r- M opin-
ion benia utb, x roapmotfuuy rmrorto yaw
ion lo. duo, ud thm OplnLoM or Mr. &Me "n"'
Kalpp at t0 w rwu08t r0r 0pf~i02i drt0d
Jw %r 3,r da tlng to luthctrity 0r tkm uati-
*tiTELtrlot to ooatraot gmxnrrlly aad author-
ities thmroin oltmd, fa addltlon to theme lbovm Ma-
tioad.
I .
. . . .
Thm Earrim oouaty--Houmton ship chmnnml mnd marl.@m-
tlon Dimtriot YU mmtabllmhmdby virtue OS 8motlon 9, &tl-
0b III 0f tb 8th a0mmti~ md Chapter a, md.0 3.28,
Voraon@a Annotated Olrll Stattior.
ma aaid JIavqpt1an Dlmtriot 18 m poa.ltioal lmbdlvi-
don of thm at&e, umrola a part of tam mov.C.1 pwmrm
Oi thm 8t8te end 18 not limp
9 y l pub110 or w&ml p ur ll0 oor-
poratlon llkm l oamon o u r imr or o-1 mad domk oorporetlon.
Honorablm Ii.L. Washburn, page 6
Srutrlalng thlm opomltlon Ii* oltm thm 0-m of CUdhart v.
Bruom r ar Mmvlgmtlon Dimtrlot, 42 8. N. (2d) 96,
River limr
Al00 thm oamo or Cmrpmntmr v. A.rryo-OolormdoNevi
trl8t, of Cmmoaoa awl Ullmon GOuntlemr 111 a. V.
md oumm mnd ruthorltlmm mmntlonmd in thmmo (IUrns. Uumr-
BlW+tlon Mmtrlot8 a rm l8mmUil83& polltloal
vlmlonm 0r thm atus. They are govmrmmkmntmlapnmlom,
&it10 mad oarpOPmto with thm pOUW8 to ~~018~ the
right8, prlrl~m u&6 povrn uoaforrul upoa them by lawa Zhq
mr8 gmnmrally trutod am mnaa.iolpaloorporatlonm in tku mmamo
that t&y ara aauflnmd to deflalto gmographiobl aseam, awl
&am no go+eramuitrl pouorm outmlb of thea and l a&jmot to
the mum rmlom u 8pplhdln rrrivhgrt the par-8 ai ooun-
tier ubd oitlam. Artlolm XVI Smmtlon 59 of thm @onmtltu-
tl* Zrbmler v. Carlton, 096 8. Y. l(r?Oj ?mrrlmmm v. Gammron
County Vator &prov&nt Mmtrlot, 25 8. If. (?a) 6gli &mr
County v. Hmdlaa-Atuaoma Couaty V8tmr Improvumuat Dlatrlot
v. Wats, 21 S. U. (Pd) 747.
In thm oame of l%-Clt Pruh Yatar % ly Mmtrlot
Mzdf of IiarrlrCouaty v. Ilmnn,f42 S. U. (2a) 9%, It was
"It-18 l mneral rule or ju4ieialoonmtruo-
t1oilwt lvu&rllorma~'EunLolpmlooqxuutlon
We w 8umh iaglled povmrm a8 mzw reemoorbly
nmmemmary to mmkm af?*otl** tha pow** mxprmmml~
8umhU are ladl8pmlb
l0t;a
0r th 0
0wp0wa.00
th0 purpoll.8 Of it8
Parrow
rhkhuu notoxprm88mdW
alloh 4r; Bmroly oaw8nla&t or UUN ma& aot bm
lnuludmd aI& aaaaot be mluatuMd. pLrt-,
E;yrn are greated to 8 aml6lgmll$y br
wlmltm, mumhpwmzm wo not qdlu@
by goyr 3 Ua g u a round
g m l18WbO~O in thm Au.
. . .
In ds.Sau8 thl8 8ubjmot, it Yam maid ln the oama
of Portu vs. citr l-2 MO,
0.r PO5 a. w. 1104, tht %ny rcir,
rouonmb&, lubmt~tlml dombt ooammrahg thm uerol8e oi power
;. rmmzmd by thm ootxPt8mgU.nmt l oorpor~tlan, mnd thm power
or war7 mmiolpml aorporatlon the 0Mrtmr or
8t&UtO b; Uhiah it is Orut@d 18 mn WgMiO ut. !lmlthmr
thm oorporatlaanor it8 offlo* oua 60 any aot, or Mkrn mny
Honorable Ii.L. ilamhburn,pmgm 7
oontrmot, or inour mny llmblllty, not authorized thereby, or
omm legimlitlvmmot lpplloeblm thmroto. All mote bmrond
b y l
thm loopm of the pavers grmnted are void. . . ."
Tbmra arm mover*1lemtianmor the state Corutitu-
tlon rhiah lvl&noe l demiro mnd intontlon to give every pom-
8lbI.OMfOg US?d
t0 th 8lp M ditr OPrOp Ub ifr Wd8 Md t0
o wp mlth ~
lir
ppUoatiantobe properly 8xpmnded tar thm per-
pomo8 luthorlcmd by lmv. (ArtLmlm III, 8omtloam 44, 49, f&
52 Md 5). m0 8mm the pFOrlUOI!ASOr hPtiO& 1, 8Mti4It 3,
bmotlon l6; aa ~rtiole XVI, Seatdon 6, of the ConmtitutrQPr.)
Am hmrmtolore stated, the maid Navig8tlan Matriot
18 p Olltla d
l lub dlVlUOa othm f 8-t. andO~tal.dylta
r8m w pa.10 rum. Therefore the movmral po*181om or
th8 beak Coamtltutlon liutiag thm ume 0r publio rrurdr by
its polltlmal lubdlvlmlonm do, in om oplnlon, 8pply to thm
Earrla County Mvlgatlon Dlmtrlot.
Wnertily 8 mklng Chapter 8, T’itlelN, Veraan’s
¬ated Olvll.St&u r em, expremm~~ 8et8 forth OertUa rL&htm,
power8 mad privilbgomof Irvlgmtlon Dlmtrlotm. gush D&8-
trlot8 may oantraot sue mnd be lmmd, Conmtrumt it8 ovn i-11-
ftkm lmmw axi4 me il buMm, lovytaxmm,emaploy mngiworr
aad &orneym ud other employees 48 ~DIJbm ne008wy r0r the
oonmtruotlon, 88Zntenmnoo mnd oprmtlon, 8nd developnnt of
the Bmv1g8t1on m8triOt8, its bumin premmrlbm
f801l.ltA.m*,
their dutlem mnd fl.xtheir aompenmmtlon, etc. E0WoVmP, tbwr
18 a0 8mOifiO mri81Olb Of the 8htUt. vhiah mUthOr% &
. - reg~tionu.t~~~~8i~~tiOn U. VWJ 8l&e&t to
th8 wO?w'8 0 . m pWpO88 Of the88 rOgU&-
tiOM 18 t0 rir terms, oolldltloam,and ll8itat10nm UQdmP
Vhlah the gavlg8tlon Dlmtrlot will pmy Oompea8Ulon to its mm-
we8 ln thomec.oamem vhere 4Urie8 ue lumtained in the
oou?mm ofemplopenthmveremulted lndlmmblllfy or death. SUd
regmlatlonm met rtwhth0 rulmm uhlmh mrm to bm rollowed in&-
w thm pipL)Ptm,limbllitlem, duties and obllgatlom OS
t&e NwigUlon.IM8triot to its uglmyeor ror -8 ULmh
remmltiDgper8wm1lnJmrlem or dmath of mmiployeem. The
oapen8atlonm provided by mud roguletlcma me to bo oaamldmr-
.d U 8-T t0 m U@lOy.S. Co a a lder lng th m rogulUlcm8 lm
l whole It&a Lukri4Z~#ethr mu@a oapenmmtlonlm oonmfder-
ldu 8dU7 or othmrVl8.. &Id regulations mrm aothlng norm
or b88 th8n 8n attempt by thm district to pr0vld.mvorkmma~m
ocmpenmUlon i0r St8.mm&myoem. %hm 8U.d regulatlonm ower
&ml oonmtltute an a&ebmdat b/tumm*thm.Navl.gatlonDlmtrlat
:
.
Honorablm B. L. Uamhburn, page 8
mad its l~lapem r0r oapmnmmtlon in lieu d dmamgmm for pmr-
mad Injuries lumtalned by mn mmployem in thm oomrme of him
lploymmat, or for 6mthremultingfraopmrmcaml lnjurlem so
8IUt8iLWd. It 18 oar Opiniw that th8 NaVlgUiM M86rlot h88
a0 mxpremme4 or wed lathoslt~ to m8km eewntmvh.imh
88omntm to lnmtuwno* oontr8otm vlth Its a orme*, reg8rdlemm
of the imrm OS lumh oontr8ct or regulmtlonm. There are no
ltatutem empowering mmoh Narlptlon Dlmtrlotm to eatmr into
an agreemmat or adopt rm&latlonm lu8b 8s are under oculder8-
tion. Y!hererora, ywr first question 18 lnmwered in thm noga-
tire.
A8 ve hmve anmuered your first qummtlon b TAM negm-
tlvo, it beooma manmommm8r~ to dimoumm thm other qummtloaa
prementmd in your inquiry.
Our Oylnlon No. O-4140 Is lpplioablm mnd vi11 oon-
trol u to paragraph a of thm maid Cm ulmtlonm which provides
r0r wdicel nib, hompltmlimmtion mnd & a4gm furnimhmdempkgeem
of thm Navl tlon Dimtrlot vhtmh.~.::mumtaInablm 8s 8 pmr?i of
tbmlr ear nor oompmnmatlonwhmre thisBomrdhmm ma& gmamra2
povlUeam therefor. In other vwdm, the Bavlgatlon Mmtrlot
hu.uthorltyto.gru,.m part of the sgaotx04mpbnMt1mt0
be pld eaployee8, to fmrnimh stipulated ler vlo em for hampfkl-
IUtlom, drugs mnd mmdlmal mtteatlon. ittOV.VU?, 88 8tmtedin
uld 0plnlo.uHo. O-1140 thmmm omnot bm unlimited ln aaaunt or
klad, aad mm&, thmroiore, bm for moms mmonmble fixed smxlmum
8mcMmt.
Yours wry truly
AlToRNEY aNn?AL w TJaM
Byf42-dwoL
Ardmll u1lllmam
Ammlmtant
PAPPPBVEG ‘\