. OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
;‘r; :
GE”&-‘=-”
Anolln-
Ronorable Zobn R. Bhook
Crlmlnal Dirtriot Attorney
San Antonlo, Texar
urt ror thbrputpoe*
I to lrtrbllrh or
the ~uall?lmd pmvtxs-
,roter# of euoh oouotrp
&tie18 44196 reabr,, iB part, a8 fol10~W:
'P&O OOXQi8Si6BW' OOUXt Or 8~ OO\mtY
rhallhare pow.? to l8kbliirha OfJUt~hOhor-
pita1 and to 8nbrp 8ny OXi8tiAQ ho8pitalr
Honorablt John R. Shook, page $2
for the oare and treatment 0r person8 rufror-
lng tram any il1ne88, diraaae or injury, mb-
jeot to the prOvlelOn8 of this chapter. At
intervals of not 1088 than twelve mnth8, tea
per cent of the qualified proptrty taxpaying
Toter8 Of a COUnty V,etitiOn 8Uch court to
provide rOI the t8t8?f ish1ag or enlarging of a
oounty hoeiltal, in v&loh event said court with-
In the time designated in 8uch petition #hall
submit to ruoh voter8 at 8 rpeolal or re*
lleotlon the propo8itlon of lsnrl~g bond8 in
rhall reoelre 8 majoritr of the votes cf the
qualiiled property taxpayer8 rotlng at 8uch
el8otlon, eaid OOmDd88iOntr8 oourt shall e8-
tabll8h and malnt8ln 8Uoh ho8pltal 8n@ shall
hare the ioll~wing power8t*
WRenote from the reading of this 8tatUt8 that the
cOd881OIld~8’ c0Ul-t ha8 the VOWeI to 88ttIbli8hhO8pitd8
subjoot to th8 prOVilliOn8Of thl8 OhIpter. Th8 prO~i8lOn8
then follow that upon thr fiiiE(rOf a petition by ten VW
oent of th8 quollrled property taxpaying votbr8, the Corn-
mf8810ner8 Court shall 8UkQit 8UOh prOpositioIito the
rot8rs at a regular or speolal lleotlon. The only two
oar88 that m are able to fild whloh di8OU88 thi8 artlolr-
Bsydlor t. Border, 118 9. 1. (2d) VO8, and State of Tosas,
ox rrl Wilron County Attorney v. B8rb.r. County Judge, et
al.1 115 8. W. (2d) 1197 - hold tht thir lrtiolr is not
in violation or the CoMtltUtion, but nowhere doe8 the 0ou.H
go rurther with rererrnor to the pIW*qUi8ite8 or 8sl8180-
tlon. However, it 18 8ppared rrom the reading 0r both
oa8b8 that the eleotion w71.1osll8d pureuant t0 a p8titiOn
properly filed with thr cOIllQi88iOnOI8'COtlIt. If 8 OOUlit~
oome8 wlthln the provi8lonr of Artlole 4478, thir depart-
msnt OOn8tIUe8 that article to mmn that a petltlon 18 a
necessary prerequlslte to the calling Of an elsotloa ror
the pUrpO8. of votln& bond8 for thr pUrpO888 WNU0Iat.d
la this rtatutr.
Eonorablo Johh R. Shook, pa64 #S
ArtiOb 4493 read8 a8 rOiiOW8:
"WhoI no oounty hoapltal 18 now provided ior
the purpose afore88ld, or where ruoh provl8lon 1s
insdequatr, th. OO~i88iOnOrS oourt Of each OOMtJ
vtbloh may havr a oity rlth a population o? more
than ten thourand pOISOn8, wlthln six month8 from
th8 time iihtn ruoh oity Shall have attained ruoh
population, 8uoh population to be aroertained bf
8uoh oourt in 8Uoh manner a8 may be dote&need upon
resolution theroof, rhall provide for the lreotlon
of 8uoh oountg horpltal or hO8pital8 a8 tiy be n0088-
88rr ror that purporr, and provide therein a room or
room.8, or ward or ward8 for the oars or oonrlnrunt
oarer, ald 8 room or room8 or ward or ward8 ror the
temporary oar0 0r penon 8Urr8IiIIg rrom mental or
rmftous di8ea8e, and also mak6 provision in roperate
building8 r0r patlsnta surrrrlng rrcnn tubmroulosl8
and other oommunloable dl8eS8e8, and rrom tlm8 to
tire add thereto aooommodation8 uuftlolent to take
oar0 0r t&r ~tl8nt.r 0r th8 oounty. Thir tlm8 may
be extondsd by the State Board 02 Health for @od
oau8. 8hown. Unlesr adequate funds for the build-
ing or &aid horpital oan b8 derived from ourrent
funds 0r the oounty rv8ilablr ror 'ruoh RurPO88.
lrsuanoe or oountjwarrantr am!l. rorlpt ,-th;-- ooai-
mirrionerr court shall rubmit, either at a
rote-at-ruoh rleotion 88id oourt may br roquirrd
therearter at interval8 0r not 1088 th8.n twSlva
month8, upon prtltion 0r ten per ornt or thr quali-
ilad rotor8 of 8aid oounty, to 8ubmit said proposi-
tlon until Same Shall r8orlr* the rSquislt* rot0
suthoriclng the 18Suanoe oi the boabS."
We lb8 that thi8 reotlon of the Aot doe8 not make a
;f;:tlon a neosasary prerSqtilslt8ror the oalliq oi an rloo-
WO bellotr th8t Beur County, harln~~a oitf oi man
than'trn thourcmd inhabitants, rcmld be govrrnod by Artlola
4493, and it 18 our oplnloa that Ull188S adaquato fun48 r0r
Honorable John R. Shook, page #I
thr building of said hospital can be derived from the
current funds of the oountg available for suoh purpose,
the Comlssionerrrl Court may submit, without a petition
being filed, either at a special or regular election, th8
proposition 0r the lssuanoe 0r county bond8 for the pur-
po8* 0r establishing or enlargln~ a oounty tubefoular
hospital.
Trustin that this answer8 your qUe8tiOn, we es.
Very truly yOUIS
ATTORNTCYGENE;RALOF TEIhS
COB-8
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