OFFICE OF THE AlTORNM GENERAL
AUSTIN
Mr. Robert t. Peddn, Jr.
County Attornay
Ptatqordr county
Ray oity, fexaa
Dear Sirr
Qplnion Ra. O-47
Ra: Co~~Iioaplt.la
Your lettap ot,,bma8y 5, 1939, to thla
depertaent in uhlo4 yov raqmat an oplnlon or tb.
iollorlng queatlonr hab beqa raforred to the wr1i.r
r0r attent10a~ The s#eati~na submitted b; you u-e:
*Ia Oan ktligorda County putl-
pat8 f4 tb8 8~8tb0ti0n or 8 pa-
? l~o$qrlmble harpilral wbara tha
t&la taOra%o i8 h4.a by rive or awa
tmatoea 6or 4he 088 and bmarit or
ltaxworda Umn$y, 8uoh hoapltal to ba
*a-ad #A tba aatttraof l publ.1. no+
pratit .'ld .A~ltabl. hoapltal?
IP7our anawar taea *bar.
q uea %8la lr r ir mtiva then ran tha
‘b unty lasua bar~oianay’warranta to b a
r W.ln4out or the Pamanant bprorfwnt
r ’ta or
d th ehtttr t0the lx t0nt
0r
Trbnty Thousand Dollar8 (@O,OOO~OO),
,23rauoh purpoao?”
&tie10 4476 or tho Ravlao~ 01~11 Statutaa
or 1985, 18 88 roiiorrt
The Oomiaalooora Court or any
oouaty ahall ban powar to latabliah a
oomty hoapltal an4 to enlarge say ox-
latlaa Roapltalaior the oar8 and treat-
rent 0rpuaona lutr.ri.og
6laeaas or lajury, l&&9 ~~p~2i::~~.
Mr. Robart F. Podoa, Jr., Janoar 11, 1939, Pa60 a
or thla ohaptu. At lntarvala 0r aot
lass than twalto months, ton por oont
of the quallfiad property tax pafin
rotors ot a aounty may potltlon auoh
oourt to prorldo iOr the ratabllakly
or lnluglag 0r a aouaty hospital, in
whldh lvent lald oourt wlthln the tlma
dealgnatad ln luoh potltlon shall lubmlt
to luoh voters at a apeolal or rogulu
eleotloo the proposition of laaulng bonds
in 8uoh lggregata amOunt as may be dali6-
nated in said petition rOr the eatabllahing
or lnluglng or auoh hospital. Whanavu any
auah piopoaltlon shall beoelvo a majority of
tha rotas of the quallrlsd property tax
payara voting at luah alaotlon, lald oo!amlar-
loners oourt shall establish and maintain
auoh.hospltal and shall have the rOihVitt6.
powers :
‘1. To purehasa and lease real pro-
perty therefor,,or roqulre auoh real~pro-
perty, an.2 easements therein, by oondemnatlon
proosad,lngs. _
“t. To purahaaa ar araat 811 neoaaaars
buildings, asks all naoeasary i.mproterenta
an4 ropalra and lltor w arioting bull6ln68,
ror ths uao of said hospital. The plans for ruoh
oraotlan, altaratloa, or rapalr lk+all S&rat be
lp p r a vo b Stat0 Iiaalth orri00r, ii his
by the
approval la r8qumatod by tha said Oani88iOn8r8
lo ur 6.
% To oauae to be assessed, lerlad and
oollaotod, luoh taxoa upon the real and poraonal
property awnad la tha oouaty as lt shall dean
neooaauy to prorlda tha funds~ for tha aialn-
tonanoo tharaor, and for all other noooaaarr
lxpan4ituraathonfor.
‘4 .40 laaua oount7 bonds to prevido
rat68 ror the latabllahlng, anlarglng and
lqulpplag or oald hoapltal and for all athsr
aeooa6u~ permanent lmprovementa la oonneotl0a
. .
Mr. Bobart F. Padan, Jr,, Jaaaw 11, lOsO, Plgo 3
thorowlth; to do all other thln6a that uy
bo raqulrod by law in ordar to rondor raid
bonds valid.
“5. To appoint a board of mnagora
for aald hospital.
“6. To aooapt and hold in trust rot the
oouaty, any grant or dorlao of land, or any
#iit or bequest of money or other poraonal
property or any donation to be lpplld,prlnol-
pal or lnoomeor both, for the benefit of said
hoap$tal, and apply the aame in lo o o r da no o
With th e to mS Of the girt. (ht. 1915, P. 71)”
The aboro lta tuta la the only rtatutory authori-
ty of a Commlsalonora* Court or a oounty to build hoa-
pita18 ior the ear0 and troatmont of poraona l uffarlng
iron lllnoaa and dlaoaao, lxoopt Artlolo 4492, Revised
Clrll Statutes of 19eb, uador whloh Artlolo you adrlaa
that YOUR 00tay 0-0t pdiry.
Your lttontlon la oallod to that portion of
Art1010 4410 reading as rollowat
-snotor any luoh propoaltlon~ahall
roooln a majority or tho toto or tho
qruliriad proporty tax payora voting at
auoh olootlon, arid oomalaalonu8 oourt shall
latabllah and maintain luoh boapltal and shall
hare tha rOiititI6 powarata
Artor moh words appears mmorloally the sixth
paragraph,
as la horalnboioro
art out. Tha alxth pan-
graph 1st
“Tolo o o pand
t hold In trust ror tha
oounty, any grant. or 4otlao of ran&, or
any glit or baquaat or 8oney or other personal
property or any donatloa ta be applied -prln-
ol al or laooma or both\ for the bansfit of
aaPd hospital, and lpp17 tho aa88 In aooor-
danoa 4th the tam8 or thr &it.=
Mr. Robert I. Padoa, Jr., January 11, lOSO,Pago 4
The laneuy of the Artlolo oloarly and &n-
lquitoaally .prorld@8 that the oomlaalonora~ oourt shall;
%old In trust for the oounty, any
grant or dorlsaof &and, 0~ any girt or
boquaat of aoaoy or other pomonal pro-
party of m donation to be asmlleb..,.w
It has low be& announood ln Toxaa that oomalas-
lonora oourta are oourta of llaltod jurladlatlon without
any powore exoopt woh aa uo expressly oonrorrod. tl
Paso w. Elam, 106 SW and, 593; Howard va. Boa4oraoa
CL%aty, 116 SW end 479; El111 Uountp vs. Bryant and I’!*#-
man, 864 SW 52Or C0mmlaalonors~ Court ~8. Tallaoo, 1Sq
sw and 5x5.
In the last .oaao olted in support of thl8 pro-
position Judge Ploraon, speaking ror the Su~romo Court
approved aa oontlrao0 the holding or .the Court of r?lr~l
Appeals on thla proposition, reported ln 801 SW 873. In
the Court of Civil nppoala oaso, Judge Baroua of the
x000 Court sald:
*The Coamlaaionora* Court la a
)rmaC&re or the state Constltutlbn and
its powers are llmltod and oontrollod
by tho Coaatltutloa and the lawa as
paaaod by the Loglalaturo.w
The ralluro or tha Constitution to prohlblt
aountioa mm lasulnp bonds r0r oonatruotlon, and uln-
tonan0o of koapltal loft open to the Imglalaturo the
pauor to eatabllah luoh hoapltala. Tha Lo~lalaturo haa
lxorolaod this powor by tha armotmnt of tha harola-
b8ror0 quo604 Art1010 4478. The Oommlaalonera* Court,
having no power axoopt that l poolall~ oonrorrod by tha
Coaatltutlon and atatutas parsed pursuant thereto,
rotid hua no power to ontorIntoany oontraotror tha
buu:~l~;;d malatononea or a horpltak, the tltloto
JahU&.a uy eannor oo8trary to the prlna-
olpal protlalona or Art1010 4478.
You aro reapoottully adtiaad that In tha
opinion of thlr department, the flrat question propounded
Mr. Robart t. Pdrn, Jr., fuaary 11, 1939, Paa 8
by ‘you and gmlnbaroro rot out mur tb e lnmmrod la the
lmgdiV8. &tln@ a0 lammnd the flrrt quartion, lt 18
unaooorraryto dlrpon or the rooond quortlon.
Trustlug?that the foregolug lmwerl your in-
quiry, I u
Yours rerpsotiully
ATISC?E? GPVEXAL OF TEXAS
llPPROVED: