.-, .‘?
Honorable I, Predecki
County Auditor
Galveston County
Galveston, Texas
Dear Sir: Opini~on No. O-251 6
Re: Commissioners’ courts -
Buildings - Agricultural and
Home Demonstration Agents.
Your request for opinion has been received and carefully
considered by this department, We quote from your request as follows:
“For many years, Galveston County has em-
ployed Farm and Home Economics Demonstration
Agents in cooperation with the Agr~icultural and Mech-
anical College of Texas, as provided for in Article 164,
Revised Civil Statutes. Both Agents have had their
headquarters and their office in a building that the
County owns on the mainland at Dickinson.
“At a meeting of the County Commissioners’
Court held on yesterday, a number of citizens from
the mainland, as well as both Demonstration Agents,
appeared and requested that the County in addition
to the office building referred to, now furnish a large
hall to be used in connection with agricultural and
dairy activities. The spokesman stated that such a
hall was now needed also in connection with the Agri-
cultural Adjustment Administration, and the building
required would cost approximates $20,000.00~ or more.
‘?Your-wpinion is ~res~pectfailydesired as to the
authority 86 the ~Commiss,ioners’ Court to expend county
funds for this purpose,.”
Article 164. Vernon’s Annotated Texas Civil Statutes,
reads as follows:
“The commissioners’ Court of any county of
this state is authorized to establish and conduct co-
operative demonstration work in Agriculture and
Home Economics in co-operation with the Agricultural
Honorable I. Predecki. Page 2 (O-2516)
and Mechanical College of Texas, upon such terms and
conditions as may be agreed upon by the Commissioners”
Court and the Agents of the Agricultural and Mechanical
College of Texas; and may employ such means, and may
appropriate and expend such sums of money as may be
necessary to effectively establish and carry on such dem-
onstration work in Agriculture and Home Economics in
their respective Counties.”
You.are respectfully advised that it is the opinion of this
department that if the commissioners’ court of Galveston County, Texas
determines that it is necessary to erect a building to effectively estab-
lish and carry on demonstration work in Agriculture and Home Economics
in Galveston County in cooperation with the Agricultural and Mechanical
College of Texas. the court may expend county funds for such purpose
under the authority of Article 164, supra. However, the commissioners’
court would not be authorized to expend county funds to erect a building
to house the agencies of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration of
the Federal Government.
Very truly yours
APPROVED JUL 20. 1940 ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
/s/ Grover Sellers By /s/ Wm. J. Fanning
First Assistant
Attorney General Wm. J. Fanning
Assistant
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APPROVED
Opinion
Committee
By BWB
Chairman