84
OFFICE OF THE AITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Hon. Ernert Oulnn
county Attorney
El 1x80 county
Xl za80, TexQ8
Your roornt rsqur8 n or this depart-
mat ln rerorenaa to lvtiolr '8 ReTl8ed Civil
StPtUtW, h8 boon r.OslVed.
CiVil 8t8ttlt(l8,
A81OAOLT' COWt,
ror.6 bd OA the
luthorirtlon br A
yiryl vtwr8 or tb
required to be paid
QAt, Whhh BMrd 18
Only rOr 8UOh PUP
8At hp8 prOVfOU8ly rand6rsQ aA
thi8 Bktuts, wbioh yQU nay d88ira
p8881q 00 the QUdStiOli8 hW.‘eiMft8r
rubaitted. (see oplnfon or Attornoy (krreral, data4
July 14, 1936, 844ms8rd to Hononble Daviel 8.
ldulcshr, CoUnty Attorney, El -80, ToXA8.)
YOU thQJ3 88k thr8s qWJ8tf,QlU OOAO8rAiW the aOl%8tFW?tb3ll
to be plaaed UVOA 8Wh Al’tiUlr Qi th6 IrtatUt*8.
!Ian. Ernest Cuinn, ia@ 8
30 have examlatsd tb8 opinion 0r the pr8oOdiog
sdministration 01 thle department, to rhioh you rarer in your
l.i$t*r. 6e have conoluded that ruoh OpitiOA i8 m?roAoOim aad
8troulC be withdram; thtit AH1618 %568-b $8 a lii0al and specfal
lRW ViOlCitiAg the prOVi8ioM Or ArtdOle s, se0tiOA M), Ot.OUr
COllOtitUtiOA, and ie th8iWSOre utI0OMtitutional and vsid.
Al'tiOle~235R-b, vWAOfi’6 Revlead Civil Statu68,
;laeaed by the L4@&316tlU8 la N35, rsa68 a8 Sollmr:
"SQQtiOn 1. u til OOUti8B in thi8 stat.
iavlng a population or not ‘les8 than 135,000 iahabltantr
and not mor8 than 170,000 lahabltnatr, aAd OOAtddB@
a city ht’iViq a PO~ILktiOA or not lrm thAA 90,000
inhabikAtlS, 48 8hOWA by thQ la8t rOOBdiA& FedUa
COMM, a direct tsr or Aot over ? 4 ve (S) ‘c8RtS 00. thr
tBlU8tiOA OS Ona Hundred (djlOO.00) DOlLal'r may be
authorized and levied by the Caedaaioaarl)~Court ol
suoh county, r0r the pllrpoae or s(lrertlring and pre-
motlng the $rowtb and d~TelopmeAt ot raid aounty anb
its ovunty rsat~ prorLdbd thd b&ore the CO~~S~IOA-
OT8' Court of any 8UOh ooutrriea &all bo luth o r lsed
to levy any tax ror 8uoh purpose the pmifiea tar
paying voters or thF aowity 8hd by a uiaaajority rots
authorize the '2bQmiS8iOD0fll' cuurt to tlwroattrr 18V7
annually a tax not to eXOed Pier (5) Cent@ OA the
OAU mlRd,md (#100.00) Dollar8 s8as88ul WIliletiOA.
-SaO.~ 8. The sppO?Mt OS tROAOy OOliaOt4d Irma SUOh
levy OS $axrn by the C0lKd88iOOOT8' Court of nay 8uCh
oolmty shall be paid to tile Board or County ~YOlO~lUOAt
in twelvrl (II!) monthly iAStAll.A#BAtr a8 6OlleOt.d. All
Z%OU678 reoaived by thr BoardOf COUAtf LWOlO&MSeAt
Iron! such tax shall be expanded only ror tha purpomm
authorized by this Aot. and 8uCh BoarG ahall annually
reader an lttualzo4 acoount to ths County AUditOr or
all reorlpt8 and di8buxsamonts.
*EM?. 5. There is hrrrby craatsd la 8uCh oouatieo
a~ mng vote in rav0r ot this tax a Board 0r county
D#WOlO&mU3At, which Shru dovote it& tilW and 0ftOI-W
t0 the Cr0Wth, adTsrti86SWt Md b8VcllOpSiWt Or 8~
8U0h QOUJlty. The trosrd Of County t?W@lOJvlt3At 8hAu
0onmiet or Slva (5) meiuber;r1two (a) to beqppointad
by the Caaai8sionar8~ Court OS 8UOh oouatiad, reprs-
MAtdim Or thf4'@griWbUMl fntQrO8t Or 8UOh 0OUJIt~W3,
who hall r801d0 oUtsid* Ot the @OUtlty 8Mt Di” aAy auOh
county; and thres (3) of whom shall bs appointed by
the board of Dlrsotor8 of tbs Chamburoi Commoroe
or thO oou&y seat of 8uch OountJ, onh Or uuob
tbroe mombore to be a member, in good 8tandfng, of
orgaalcea labor. Said menbum ahall sunrlbr a
period or twp (8) years from th8tr~cappolnta85t, with+
out ootapmuatloa,and until thulr 8uoooeaor8 am
appolntud and aooapt 8uoh appointment. Vaomciae on
buoh Bow6 8nPl bu tlllrd in the 80mO amor a8 the
orlgllul eppolntmants, pnd by the same OgOnolO8.
*All muahur8 of 8uoh Board of County Dwalop-
mat shall be qualified t8x
paying vot+re of tJw
ouuntp in wbioh t&r aru appointed to mrve.”
Art&b18 I, ssotfon 56, 0r our cowtitutioo, prooidw
68 r0ilm8t
Y!h* L@8laturO 8hall not, lrompt a8 othOniO0
prtitldedin thl8 Conrtltution, pa88 fmy looal or
rpuolal law, authori8lngt
~tiugulstingthe artalr8 0r oountlO8, oitiO8,
tom8, ward8 Or sobool distriot88.....
-cr86thbg 0rri0e+ or prr8oribin thu powem
and dUtib8 Of OfriOar8, in OOUIItiO8, 0 f th8, faIU,
rlOotlo5 OF aohool dlrtrlot8; . ..*
It i8 oluar that the law under oon8idOntioo rOgufat.08
tb u
ltralr8;or th8 oauntles to WhlOh lb applier, orrat.
orrlaO8, O5,i prO8orib08 thO powOr and dutlorr 0r 0rrkam.
18 it a guneral law, or‘ 1s it 8pseial and local in tiotition
0r the Ql'0Vi8iOlU 0r Article s, Sootloa 56?
A 1m1 whloh appllo8 only to a part or a natural ale88
of porsow or thin@ must prudlaate it8 inalurion of th8 part
and sxolueloa of thO baluou up05 oharaotori8tlo8 &WOtil82 to
ths part, which, oonaldering ths objeot8 and purpossa Or.thr
law, atford reasonable groun@ for re8trlOtin(p tha application
0r ttm kw to ths part. CZaO8iiiOatlO5 au8t bs rUa8OMblO
and natuml, not arbl.Wary aad oaprlOlou8. Arbitrary de81 tion
18 not olasslfioatlon. The vies of local or 6peofal km8 I?
that they rert on tibitnrjr des&nationi that they b0 AOt
aabmae and'affsot all of the ola88 to whioh tho are mtualu
relutud. 65 R.G.L. pp. 014-816~ 1E Aah 3Ur. PO f46, smith 1.
stat0 (ct. Cr. app.), 49 9. 8. (eai 939; mhdolph v. St&*,
8
(Ct. cr. Appl), 86 S.16. (26) 484; Clark v+ Plnloy, 93 Tex. 171,
64 &'n. &34S; City oi Ft.‘:iortbv* Bobbitt, lE1 'i'ex.14 36 SW.
(Zd) 490, U 3.K. (Zd) &lS3~ Fex6r County 1. 'Iya@n, lZ& TOI.
SU.8, 97 s.Yi. (Ed) 467.
Baoau80 population aa a baala for alaaalrioatloa bu
b&o rwtalned by the court8 in rerpeot to legl8latlon on
oert4in 8ubjeOk, it ha8 bean a88umed, erroneou8ly, th6t
population braetcotr will 88rvu Zn all lnatanose. bo avoid the
oondamaatlon of thrc Constitution. lhb miatak6n a88UMpti0Il
proeaeda rr0m a iallure to note t.h8t population has been SW-
Cainad a8 6 baai for alaaririoation only in ttrO86 ilutMOU8
whore it bore a roa8oasbl8 relation to tie objaot8 and putpoe
of the law snd wa8 founded tapon n rational dlffersnoe In the
WOW8itie8 or oonditioim Of the -UPS aubjested t0 diffor.nt
1eW8. 8here it hm been deterinlned W-t, oon8ldexhg tha
Objsats 6md pm-pa888 or tha law, d~rror8no08 in population
afiord no rational &ala r0r dirorl~lnating betuasa~ r0upa
0r the 8ame natural Olas8, olaa8ltfhatioa 0n the baa e8 or
population has.been tenned arbltnrp 8elaotion, an6 the law
ha8 boon held to b8 spoolal aml looal.. Eamdolph v. State,
eupm.
'Jiborepopulation might hate sompd a8 M ritLonal
bwir ror ah88irfiWfiiOB, ii the objeot an4 purpo80 et th0
law had bain to lnarwlle the oompsniatlon of oountp 0rri0Om.~
8i5Oe thr’purposu Or the parti0Uik.r lur WL8 to lorrar 8u0h
OompuMatioa the OG88ffiWti0I3 Was: bald to be iUVOEt& Od
the law slpeoiel aad looal. B0W GoUuty Y. Tynan, 8Up&W
The objeot aid purpo8s of the law UlldOr Omu-&oration
lu to pecolt aountios to levy and oolleat a tar for advrrtl8arent
and proakotlon 0r thu growth and development or thu oountsr a56
it#OOMty 8-t. A natural olaar, 0P aourae; iaoludo8 all
aouatle8 In th; Stat@. This law extends 8uOh pOW@r O&y to
those countier having a populst?on, acoordlng to the l&at
greosalng Psdural OUIIIBU*, of not lea6 thnn lZS,OOO am nor6
than 175,000 tnhabitanta, and *ODtrininl; a Oity Or IIOt 10118
than 90,000 iniisbltant8. We only county meutf,ng the186 reqUh!O-
wnta, at the tins of the paerbge 0r the law, xv88 Bl inha
county.
Ittmq be doubtrd whether the number or Inpabltaata
r&riding within a county, and thr 8ire or a oity u$tbio 8uOh
abunty; alnno survs in any reaaonabhi and sust~ral aannrr $0
indicate the ?lUOO88it~, prqCiOty, Or de8fmbility Or pdX'dtti8@I
eueb oounty to arjaea8 and expend a t-61 for advnrtialng and
88
pronor.In& thr growth and the doVelopmant ot the county and 118
county aaat, wlmrr suah porar Ia d8nIe4 OS withheld troa other
aountisr. Hj.elm v. katteraoa, 106 YInA. 206, 117 l&Y. 610.
HOWVW wo Uo not ~laoo our 4aoIafon thet the aat under aon-
siCerAtioA is local and apsaial upon this ground.
lf population, oonesivably, my term M c. reasonabla
and natural oritarlon or the necaraltp or deeirabllity or
pami;tlng a oounty to tax far tha purpors of adrertiaing and
pl’OZOtiA6 ita @owth anb QeVelO~JmAt, It muat bo u on tho
thaory that a am11 po~ulatioo bVIdeAC@a M undsve P aped oouaty,
a legs gopulatioa a developed couat~. The imaller the
populatloa or a aouatr, tha c~raetor the proprlotg, awarrity
aoia dralrsbility or psmttimg it to t6UE ror the purpose ot
pIvmot1n.g its growth and dsvolcpmeat. .
,ThIa lar~&pplIes only to aouatlas with A population
ci 125,000 to 178,* inhabitanti8, arrd a city of 90,000 or
mom I5babItaata. Oount,Ies or iea8ar popul8tloa tkre Mt
pmeittd to uaroiaa such power. me Ldw thomroro oarmr)
o’ut iS t&s top of the natural populntioa braokst (&ammln,g
lW,OOO inhabit~enta In a county to repraaaat the figure at
whiah it bocomsrr~wnaoasaary or lea8 baaireble tlukt 8 oduaty
should tax for prf~~onoti~ Ita devrlqaaent) a dorigguitiog oi
aountiao tizkvini; a 1468sr noad for~prmotiorr or tkais gro*hh
and development than t&one oountIcra ~5th a,pcpulfitIoa oi~lcaa
than :B,O00 fnhabitants. It eroludia the rrrr oouatiea whirh,
tsklng population arr aa Indioia,~.bovti”tba most ,ao66~~forthe
POWW* Ths law tharerora doe8 not inrilude or erabmee all
wLIch nati~r~lly belong to the slaaa en the very~baair for claac
'Itication selooted DT the Lsqialatura.~ Tha olaraIfioatIoA Is
illusory, 81mere de6ignQtiOA whioh ia Ao olasaIfIcAtion at
all, bat, on the coAtrmy, Aa Invemted and dIr,oriaIAntorp aa
the ltiw oonrIdstad bjr our Bupmn!b Court fn tins Tpum cmw.
T?m arbftmry aharabtar or this purported claaai-
fiotttioa la the more clearly evldanoed end em~h~sisrnd by the
fast that la hats 1930, 41at LeglalatWe, 5th Called S~aion,
Ch. 42 (Varnoa~a CIVIl Statutal, AX& S?isb), Sll aountIra
ih TMM hmiA& fiCOOrdi~#~t0 the Feden 665aU8 0% 1$&o, 8
~;oyuk~tIoA of at iaast EO&000 and 1086 than 810,000 inhabitant?,
were pcmaItted to levy n SiEiltr tax rcr similar purpoetm.
Rare the size of the aity within the oount$waa deemed of no
lmport.Qnca. ConsIderInG tlieae two'lawe toyetLzer, It la
obaarrad that oountisa saving population8 lroasding 174,QOO
and la88 than ZO6,~OOO iAhabitaAt8 ar’r not psrfdttofi to sxoPeia@
the power to hx ror auoh purpoaea~ IIt thQ 10% AOt, 80 ASW
Hen. Emeat OhmI 2age d
oounty offloors are created or authorized, but In tbo 1935 Lot,
now oounty oifioare, In the form or a board of oountr derelop-
mmt, aro wanted in the counties with populations from 123,000
to 178,000 with oitiaa of SO,000 or nor4. Rhat ratlonaZ be818
I8 tr,sr4In population llrttbbdlroriralnatlom thus rffcsotsd?
ArtIolo 3, 3eotIon 98, of our CoMtatIon, I8
do8lgned. In par8, to IJfsurrthat our 8yrtua of county omra-
amat 8hall be as ~Ifom a8 I8 pos8iblr. Jt 18 iatende 8 to
prevent the p48sag4 of law8 which ctisorin!f.nakbetwean the:
OowMos OS thl8 State witbOUt adequate and 4Ub8tantIal dlffar-
4IlOW In the OhWzl4teri8tiOilOt.th4 Individual CO'Unti48
indicative, rrtioaallp, 0r a luO488Ity ror th8 dl84rimiinaiiiofL
Tha law IA&U oonridaratloa Olearly ViOl*t48 th4 prOTIrfan8
Oi~tG?tiO~O 8, 88tttiOIl 88, aad it8 IStiAifMt 8pirit alId p\tI-&IO88,
8nd it i@ th8rOfDra UnOoMtitUtiOMi aBd void.
The opinloa of the preo~dln6 tLdSi4iilrtrati6n
of thf8
departmeat, f&da%8 July 14, 1056 addrra8ad.to thr Hanorabl8
liaridE. biulccrhy,County Attornay El Pam, T8xa8, sb tar a8
our r8Oerd8 rev4al, ~816 nelthar 8ign4d nor apprDV86 by the
Attorney Oonaral. mw4ter, ii It nay b8 r4g4rdrd a8 an or~lalal
lSp888iOII Or th8 Opinion Of this dSpUtSIMt, w4 f&ink It
oloarlp 8rron40u8. and It Is th4r4Tol4 ovaruled and wlthdmwn.
Th4 fOF4gOii& r4,prO#OiIt8
t&4 pOn8idW8d OpiniOn Or
th18 depPrtM4nt. shoe thu &et under oon8ldsratIon 18 a
nullity, ma oplnlom rm this deprtment'eonstruIng It8 pro-
VI8iOD8 wouk3 04rv4 no urefu1 plupo44*
Your8 very truiy
=Y /d
R. n. Fafrohlld
A8oIe!-ant