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OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY
AUSTIN
GENERAL OF TEXAS
Bonarab1.o T. X. Trlmble
First Aarletant State Superintendent
Austin, Texan
Dear Sir;
plnien roquert of
follalYingC quo5tloM:
n tw Belton
es are anxloua
1 mattez, Paut a
ate axl County tax-
axpaying mater, nwit a person .~
paid hie 1940 taxes?
*5. frr a parrron aoneidud a taxpeylae voter
who has onlf render54 hla property tar tOrati0nP
"6* Would a peraonvho hns real oz pP5OM1.
preperty subjeot to taxeti?n, whlah Bar not been
rendereb, be aOn$$dcrred a qualified tatpap%& I
teter and eligible .to rote fa m bbad eleatiQn?*
Honorable T. Lf. TrImblo, pa@ 48
The mnner of holding a bond eleotlon in an inde-
pendant echo01 dlatrlet la govamad by the law regulating
general eleotlona. Artid E788, Vernon*8 Annotated Civil
Statutea, 34 Tama Juriaprud8no8, 650.
At th8 outret wa will aummrlao the quallfioationa
Of Toter8 in an itidepandant lohool diatrfat bond alaotian
aa daiinad by tha Constitution and tha Statute8 of Tana.
We will fbn attmpt to answer oaoh apeoiiio quaatIon In tha
ardor in whloh they hare baon aakad.
A pW8On oSiUi to vote in a bond elaation in an
lndapan4ent aohool dlatr 7 ot muat bar8 raaided in the Stat8
for ollb year, In tha oounty air montha, be OWE tha aga of
twenty-one, must hre pld a poll tax prior to FebStury f&at
praoeding the alegtion., or be axWept therafrom, muat ba a
oitison of the Wnltad State8 aimI muat own tanblo pr0paz-t~ in
tin lohool dlatrlat whIoh ha haa duly randared for taxation.
A person under twenty-oar pars OS age, idiot8 and lunatiea,
pauper8 mpported bg tha county, all parsons oonriotad or a
faloql who80 ettiranahip haa not baen restored by pardon, and
all aoldlera, aerlnea and leaaen employed In the aamIoe of
tha aPmy or navy, are &laqurlIflad. Oonatltution of Texas,
Art. 6, 800. 1, Z, Sa; Vernon*8 Annotate4 Cltll Statutaa of
Texaa Arta. EQ!U, 8955, E955a (by whloh said aeatlona of tha
Oonatitutlon were plaoed in our statutory law)* Oaxupball ta.
Wright, 95 3. W. (8U) 140 Taxer Publlo Utlllt~aa Oorporation
vs. Holland, lea 9. W. (I?d 1 10&B.
In reply to rour rlrat quaatlon you are adtiaod that
in our opinion before a peraon Wn Vat@, hia ptOpOrbf muat
appSm on the tax roll.8 of the partietiar dlatrlat holding
the election. Art. 6, 880. 38 of t&e Conatltutlon of Ten8;
Barker ~a. WIleon, 805 9. W. 543; 37 Texas J11rl8pru681~0 @8c*
Quaation m&bar two la anawarad tn the nO@tiYa.
that a voter be
Thara la no rwqulrenvnt a fJtat@ ana
muty taxpayer in order to be qwlifl6b t0 tota Ia an IMe-
pendant aohool dlatrlot 816otion. saotlon 5a of Artiala 6
Of the cOMtitUt:On 0s T-8 Previde8 that oti qualified
eleetora who own taxabrs propertp in the d&W 1at whU* sooh
*hotIon f8 bsld, an4 who her8 dulf rsndarad ume for tam-
tlon ahall ba qualffiad to '10ba*,
Honornble T. LI. Trimbla, page 83
Gueatlon numbor three la anawared in the negative.
Sohool DCt~r,eU~~nr,'E~~~'~V~~ $&!4~~&e~~a~~~~
of Balton and la a separate and dlatlnot entity, having ita
own governing body.
House Ml1 #lOD lrort -8ennth Legleleture amen&a
Artlo 8955 of the Revhad 0i vi1 Statutoa of the $tab of
Texas, relative to the quallfioatlona to tots, aald law be-
oari* efieotlr4 on Woh 5, 1941, and reads, in part, as fol-
lowat
"Provided that a alty poll tax shell not be
required to rot* in any eleotlon in thlr State,
emapt in olty elaotlon8.~
CLueatlon number rour la anaw4rad In the nogtlte.
There la no r6 ulramnt in the Constltutloa or Statutes
of Texan stating that e axes must be actually paid, the only ra-
qulremaat being thet a qualified eleotor muat onn taxable prop-
erty in the diatriat rrhero auoh lleotlon la held and who has
duly reml*red the 8-e for taxation. Boa. Ja, Art. 6 of the
Oonatltution OS Texasi Artlole 8965a, Yemon*s Annotated Clrll
StatUt48; ampb*ll WI. Wright, lupra.
7?;unetlon numb*r rlro la answered in the affirmatlre.
As stated above, the only repulrvmant in ths Statutes
and the Constitution of Texas to be quallrl*d to tote in a bond
eleotion la that said property must bm in the aohool dlstrlob
and aam must be aalr rendered ror taxation. We. 3a, Art. 6
or the Constitution, and Artlcle MISSa, Vernon** Annotated
Clvll Stetutoa,
cueetlon numbor air Is anarared in the negative.
34~. 3 or Art. 6 or the Constitutlo~ epeeirieaiiy
states that said property must be dul rondered for taxation
before a voter is sll@ble in e bon
73 eleotion.
As to the manbig or ~dulp rend4r46~ tfu oeurt* oi
this State, in the 6aaea or Campbell vs. Wrh%ht WI To=*
Publie Utllltl4a vs. Holland, 8upra, h*r* bad th4t lf a*
Honorable T. K. Trlmble, page #4
property of a oitlzen is on the tax roll aod he lo 11s ble
ror the taxes 8sSesS0d he bae “duly fendered the samem lmo-
rar as hie right to rot6 under the provlalona Or Article 6,
See. 9a of the Texas Constitution, la oonoerned, without
regerd to the manner in which the rendition of such property
was made. Property may be rendered by them pereonally or
through an agent or be aseemed by the tex asaaasoc ii the
pro rty cwner has rolled to render the pro rty. We are
am oaln a oopy of our oplnlon Numhar O-11 r 8, whloh more
r
dear&y E[erlnes this term.
Truatlng that thle answpyerayour questions, we are
Ver)r truly yours
ATTORWET
OTiZQRAL
OF 'i"EXAS
COB-a
APPROVEUAPR 8, 1941
ATTORNEY GZNSRAL OF TEXAS
APPROVED
**INION
coMYnTca
BY
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