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ORICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ‘TEXAS
AUSTlri
~GZ!E!f
cb I
.
relatbd quo8tlonn.
opln.ion of thla De-
in statedha8 boon ro-
part ae follow2t:
County maintains an acoount in the
rein the Jury Fund Iloadand Bride.
and Courthouee an8 Jail Fund are oar-
and are Oashd buliaorbninately out OS thi$
In other words, as low (~8thora is any money
in this oomblasd fund, all warrants drawn am oaaheQ,
whloh results in cashing warrants drawn on one account
from funds to ths oredlt of aaothar amount.
-HononbloBaa J. Imatk,
Pago 2
*At the aont tim the Road and Bridge tund
la overdrawn 4”
ntho ma of ~i50,80%.87,
rhfoh is ooe
sued Ot the OiIrd~tt and the lmlanoe tram the my
Fund, Goneral Xund, and Courthousr and Jail ?und. In
other word*, tbo Road end Brldeo Nnd owma the Jury
Yund OonoralJund, amI oourthcureaad Jail Fund aad
*v&aft Of the amount or $SO,S06.87.
The normalmotor voblolofloonmotoo@ oolriry to
StopbenmCounty annually aro in a maa slightly in ox-
0188 ot ~80,000.00,whioh ~111 normallybo paid in
t&l ha end Ot Apl’il,1941.
by
t
*It Is propond that tho Comn.lrslc~or~Court eater
an order reoitlhg the raots ebova smwrated or m auoh
thueot an amy bo pertinentto BP uubratanailrs of tb8
sltuatlca, and ptotlding tht tfm aarrant to the u-
tont OS i1S0,000.00ba lsruod, peyablo not later than my
1, lS41, and'payablo out of the motor vohiolo lioenm
tax money oomlng to Stophona County pr%or to that data.
“. . . .
"I should liko to laktho iollodu& quortlonm
-(a) IO Btephanr Oouuty author&a4 fo @atry tb
fo urlb o vofund.
in o w lo o o unt?
m(b) ID the drpoaltoryla th o r izoto dpv a ohaok
dram on the Road and Brldgo Fun8wban tho Road nnd
Brldgo Fund la lshaurtod and imymonthaa to be &ad*
tram moneya ollooablo to tha other tlati iandr?
"(0) If the dopoaitory 10 authceizod to make luoh
pymont, 10 the runty luthorltod to trmraot burinOa*
in thla way, ok would this bo a violationot the lam
“(d) DGOS tho OoUnty haV0 pmor t0 imM y1vMte
end plodeo the mObOr VOhiClO liOOD80 rOO& in Pa]ypmt
0r 89w
"(0) II the Cormty Obli~8t86ftciOlft0 Pay tt;a
6um.cf ~!jo,000.00to the boot .at thin th.6, wuld the
EOtOr vehicle iioec~w fess ticsbatw%n tm: BIIC2.y 16t,
_._ -.-.-- - .---..- - _.. . ..- ---.
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-.- 646
!iononble Ben J. 3Onn, rixde3
nut you, ba ccmaldorod 'ourrat tuada'traa ubloh
such obl~ation could bo mid?
'_
'(t) U the oouaty oan lmdully borrow&J 000
and plOdgo tho aotor vohiolOlioOnaO t008 r00~1v~blO
prior to By. &ml, dthsr by tho iaauaaooot war-
'rmta or by ;dt;sot oblleation,shouldit out of tld8
paf brok to.thO OsnorOl Fuad, tho Jury Fund, and
Oo Or th o ua
lnd
o J&l Sund the amouattro8 tlmro fund8
that haa boan uaod by the Rad and Bridge mtw
ssotloa 9, Art1010 WI & the SW00 Conotltutiao
gnaorlbua thqawimum rat0 ot tams t6r4ptwel OBM, ror
roadsrvldbrldgoa, r0i Jyd88, rnd tar pumaaaat Ep"p
resmotlvoly. Tbr money 8rIslnetrpmtaxem 1O~f0d z?%%tl
Zroa aaob or thr lbovo wamera~oa pwpoaoa are oMatlttit%cuml
fuada.
ThO oolmlad~a~a~ oourt has no autlwrltr to treasfer
monoy from one to another oonrtIt.uUoclnlfund, cw to l xm,
ior ono purpoao, tu rmonay raiaod oetondbly toremthor pur-
Pomr Tho ImmadIato purpooo ot th0 %oviaion is to llmlt the
amount OS tares that8~8~ bo raiabd for thOa0 00ran1 puxwaO8,
na~OtIrOly, and it Is Olao dsal@ad to :DhfbIt OxoOsdro
o~~dlturea for any ot auoh purposoa and to ropulxm tht lny
and an moacya ral8ed by taxation tor a ny purpoarlhbn lm ap
pllOd to that partlouhr purpose aMno othor. Cam01 V.
killlams, 202 5. w. so4 mlt v. Hill county, 118 s. w. abe;
2. Jur. vol. 11, P. 6&V-10-11; lie~nd~raon v. Farr, Me S. I.
.
hrtlolo 68958-10, Verncn*a maotatod ClrIl ;itatutea,
prooidos in part tbatr
WI xonbay ot oaoh work oaoh oounty tax ool-
lOotor ahall doposit in the oounty dopodtor of hlr
oounty to the oro6lt of tho oounty road and i rldp
tund an amount oquO1 to on0 hundmd (lOO$) porooat
of not colleotions mado honunder Audng the proomd-
1% ucak urrtil tt.is amOunt SO dapoaited ror the our-
rmt calemler year ab,brll holo reached a total sum oi
fifty ttoussnd ($50,000) dollara.
" mne of tha nonoye I?0plaoaa to the
.- cwodit’oi
:ho road and bride0 rund or t5. oounty shall
be used tt pay the aelary or ocmpensation or any oounty
lionorableBen J. maa, Pago 4
JwIgr or oouaty Ocmmln~loner, but all said ~poney
ahall bo ured ior the oonatruotim and aaldoimn0a
o r la ta Mr 1a r er
8a dsuc h
o o untpUll6.T
the lp er vt-
rlon or th eo o ua lty
a&Waar, Ii there bo oao, ad lf
tlkorrla m. suoh lnb ;ia othan
w’,the oounty oaalorlomr~*
oou%rball hro thr wthorlty to oomaad the rmlora
or tbi'altiaicorlnglnrer 0r tha stata Hi6hmr mgllrt-
meat ror tin purpose 0s 8upwvirtcg the aonrtruotlon
The above mnti0n.d nttitUt0 ex9r.rrlj9r0~id.r hmf
li0.M. teea Ooai~&tO a 0ount.ysh811 br aXMBdO&
It has 1Ong boon held by the oourtll ot thla it.t.
. that the oomulsalonorr* oourta have no poumrr or dutloo exoept
thorn uhlohan clearly set rorth anQ derlnedin the Coaetltu-
tlaP aaa datutoa oftho Stata or naoesrarlly iaqllrd thwe-
rmra. ._
It was be14 in our Oplnloa No. O-937 that tlm a&-
afmera' oourt 416 not have the authority to traasier tundr
iron tha rad and bridge fund to the geaarolfuml, It im
iurtharrtatrd in said oplalon tpat "t-h@OarPlniS6iCdMM’ oourt
lr not authorlned totranorer any iacneyerrm one ooaatltu-
ttOa81fund intO -0thW. euoh traaarer, it naao, rouM ooa-
atituta a diverUm oi ouch fan4r and bo laralid.~
The suprenr Court of this State has olearly dnun 0
di&inotloa betraan oonstltutlonal and rtntutory iuada, hoM-
lng that thr ooami88lomra*oourt, under Artiolo 1630, Vo?aon*a
mtm0t04 civil statutrm, 1~ not authorized to direct a traar
far arcs one ooastltutloml runa 0r monmy rrorlvr.6 rroo take8
1e+ied oateaaib1.yror oao purpose into another fund or lt9orrd'
ror another and dlrtlaot pur9oso. This authorlty gmntod la
ralb rtatuto wao thorrroro hold to apply only to ltatuto
rutids aoa the oommlarimorn* oourt la authorlead to mak*&
such tranatsrw of fund as by statute are speoIfioal1y WV*
ated. Carroll v. villlfaui~, supra.
P
c
F
xoaoxubl6 Bea J. CAM, Pnge 6
nrtlcle 2554, v.A..:.~,.
~rovZ5as in prt that1
*It Utull be t38 duty of tks osunty tresswer
th4 pra3entatiOa to hiz of any warrant,
Check, roucSer, or order draw by the proper
authority, ii there be funds SUmCle& r3r
the payment th:cor on Cesuslt :1 tke acctouat
a@hist wblch SUOb w8rrunt Jr3crswn, to es-
coruo upaa I.& reoc or uuct itstru=e-.ttiis
order toyox tk6 BLOM to the ;4yio nw.od there-
in 0~6 to 'W&I tha S:SE oa hi4 baoks to the
faad upon w% ich it la bqaw. . ?t shell tm
the outy cr 6UOh depositary t; &.3? 1 astoiled .
acbnthly statoa4zltto tileeo-idsllio3txs'oourt -
at esch rep&r term or oald courtabowl~e
the dolly balmices to the oredlt or oaoh or
tho r0a 67 dsposit. l . .*
mtlole 16X0, F.&&&L provide4:
N-’ *TL-uacaouats or the tax colleotor *ball
. bo kept as follou6, A 6epirat8 aooouat nball
b6 kc;rt ror air&iaopsr6te rum3 thnt my be
upO5 the tax roU6; oaob eoomnt 8hull 6t6tr
the sacs or the oolleotor, the character or
th4 imzu?catered therein, an4 the yoer for
which the s..zeis a~soseab; SW.:V-0 tows
aCnezinC fo,-&oh yew shall be kapt scparute
am: ~lrtiEot."
CorssiAer:~ the above nm!tionIiadtatuteu ta~ether
with &X%iClt~ %x1 m6. 7~61~:z849, v. .b cb a.. aDc
0th~ ssrticant otatuter, it Is opprant t&t lt 16 oant4~-
plate@tlistd eaprate acoxmt ahall be BOgL tar ea0h
eeprste rund upa2 tba tax rolla.
a 0;:nioa of this Uo;m+mnt (6lcnalal Seport
of tbe ittorney Cenerul. 1912-1914, ;a~9 lC3) to144 3.6
0rr00t tht the coep a3p03:tory flirt:X~F s separate
6CCOWt fa,ttUCh fUSId. .
fr:vlcr:3f the rore;Gl;; rrGtt1:3ri:1os
*:JrQ\swer.
y-;~r ;:id:ti3csa9 r0lw.t6:
.
.
The OOUit~ dt3pOBftOry iB llOt aUthOl’iZ0d to ptlya
ahoak dram an the roe6 and bridge fum? when the road aa
brldgs fund 1s exhausted; whe,npoywnt has to be made iron
noueyo allocatedto the other thr:e funCs cbovo rentloned the
payment or a cheek drawn on the road und brld&e tund would be
(Ldi~WiOn Or 6Sid futld8.
The QIlSWOr t0 the WCOUd qUC5tiOn’aS atatS6 abv,
neoessarlly answerm your third puostlon.
The County dOIIBDOt &If8 pier t0 mm the mrr&8
aentiontdin yo r inquiry and pie@ the nator nhlalo llasnso
fob v
in paymntgr add warrants.
. The llaonse far8 duo between naw ~4 !:.'r
1, 1942, aaa
not be consldarod as current tunds ?roa wblah to pay tho suiu
of b~0,oO-Oabove mentlonti in tbe event the aounty abligatu
ttmelf to pay suoh sUJ at thio tlmo. 2330 iioenm roe8 wt br
expended in tha penner as set out by Article CO7Sa-10.
In en~wor to youi lost question, you ime reapeaU*
adrimed that the oounty cannot lawfully b:mrow the ~50,000
above nentlo;:ed and lodge the motor vehicle lloonae'iaoare-
celvod prlar to Kay f, 1941, for the paynant thsroot.
mu8ting tm the raregoing ruily an~wtm your in-
qu?ry, we are
APPFKJVECDEC11, 1940
b.u
ATTORNEY G?%NEFtAL
OF 'l!EX.As
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