Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OFTHE ATI'ORNEYG~NERALOFTEXAS AUSTIN Honorable V;ardlowLane Dietriot Attorney canter, Torar Dear sir; He aoknowlobgereoeipt 11requoat or xearnt r4nto4 la Art. hrt. 3 of Ohs b0 '6Oll6tN6tiOR, m4oabfnnlte8, gray- ih6, OF in da be r64eQ that mm8 graYa lrlll 006 but on the whole it will be Oil 4na natulxl soil. ~Of\llaul( a6 in preparing the elsatlm papors the wording of tho Constitution ad the 6t6tUt6 will be lollowed, but&one interested in the ,matterare very anxlow to have your opinion a6 to the validfty ot r&sing end using the funds for tha above purpoao by thi@ means and hero 46b od that I obtain an opinion from you cm the matter before they heUI the aleotion." SeotLon 52 of AJ-Oiole3 ai the ConstiButionoi Taxas pxw- HonorableXardlow Lane, page 2 rides, in part, as foll0ws: Wnder legislativepr0vislon any oounty, any polltioel subdivisionof a oounty * * * mm or hareai'tcrto be doscribed and defined * * * in addition to all othsr dabts, may &sue bonds * * * * in any amount not to oroosd one-rourthof the asssesed valuation of tha real property of suoh distrlot or territory * * + for tha ioll0w- lng purposes * * * the oonstruotlon,xaaintonanoa and operation of meoademiaod,gravoled or paved roads and turnpikes, or in aid tharoof.' The tams Qaoad4mlesd, graveled or pavedW have bean oon- struad to lnoludo roads 00YEred with shall, send, olay or any ohareoterof materiel so as to make a firm, hard and smooth 8urrta08, over whioh horeom end vehiolas may pass. stitoa V. Sutton county, 272 S. iv.506; Gibson Y. Davis, 236 5. W. 202~ Colamen-FultonPeeturo company Y. Aranser County, 180 5. W. 316~ 21 Ter. Juris. 671. In Xreneaa County Y. Colamen-FultonPesturo Company, 191 S. W. 556, the Suyremo Court hold that roads pared with “shell” would be "paved zwads" within the oonstitutiaaal pravislonr Thle aasa affirmed in part 4 judgmant oft&e Comt or Civil Appoals at Ssn Antonio In the oaso of Colamexk-Fulton Pasture company v. Aransea County, MO 8. W. 316, an8 the rul- ing of the Court or Civil Appeals approved by the Suprom Court La set out in the follaring languagor "We are of the opinion that appallsem have full. authority to use the runas arising rNJp the sale or the bonds to oonstruat,ms&tain, an6 operets roada, whether they ba maoedamleed,gravelad or paved, and es there was sufflolonttestimony to ahow that the shell roads to be emoted were paved roads, within the oontemplationof the Oonetltutlon, the oourt properly rerueed to restrain appallsos froptusing the money to oonstruot suah roads. 'To pavo' is defined by Wabater'e UnabridgedDiotlonaryl "'To lay or oovar with stone, briok, or other materiel, so as to make a firm, laval, or OORYBSI- ient aurfaoe Por horaree,oerrlegos,or persons on root to travel on.' Honorable Sardlow Lane, ya;;e 3 *The testimony shows that shell or mud shell warill make e hard, smooth road, that is durable and lasting. The words 'paved roea* we think, am broad enough to Inalude roads medo or shell or mud shell. It oanntitbe supposed that the Constitu- tion r;eantto confine the words to roads with solid toppings, as asphalt or oonoro';s,beoause it is ~011 known that suoh mterfals ero never ussd in Texas In building pub110 roads, but are used only in town8 end oltles. Yla0adamized end gravels4 roads aro men- tioned, and then, 4s oomprehendlngall other roada, the word *pevrd~ma used. We think eppelleos have the right and authority to expend the money erlring from the bond issue in the oonatruotlonand m4lnto-. naaoe or roads built aa indloeted ln the to&&my, of shell or nua sh.li. The avldonoa waa positive that shall roads aro *pared roads'.* In Olbaon f. Davla, 236 S. W. 202, the Court uaod thir languegot We think roads oororod with send clay or any ohereoter of Baterlel 80 a6 to meko a firm, hard, smooth surisce over whloh horses, sarriegor,auto-~ mobiles and other rehloles mep pass 4re alassed 68 -red rosa@, e# thet term is used in tho aonstitu- ti0n ana amt0a.= Brom 4ll or the ebovo, It is our opinion that tho road8 must be BQ oonstruoted es to be edequato, durable an8 penaenont, 4nd wo believe that lr the C~nmlsslonerm~Court find8 that the road Bontempletedin your roqumt moots them requlronenta,then the prooeede or bonds issued for the purpose of the *oomtruotlon, melntenanos4na operetlon of ma06dami2eb,grclreied or paved roeaa and turnpikes, or In elb theroy- used to build said roeaa. Aeslrtant