164 Ga. 336 | Ga. | 1927
Lead Opinion
Article 8, section 4, paragraph 1, of the constitution of this State (Civil Code of 1910, § 6579), as amended in 1920 in the manner provided in the constitution for its amend
It is insisted by the petitioners that this act of 1925 repealed the above-quoted section 2 of the act of 1922. Section 1537 of Park’s Code, referred to in said act of 1925, was taken from Acts 1906, p. 61, and all that the amending act of 1925 did to the said act of 1906 was to add to its provisions: “They shall have the right and power to use the schoolhouses and school properties in the district, or permit the same to be used for educational purposes; provided the use of the schoolhouses and school properties in no way conflicts with the public school or schools in the district.” This did not expressly repeal section 2 of the act of 1922. Repeals of statutes by implication are not favored, and are recognized only where they arise necessarily from a proper construction of the provisions of a repealing act. Considered in connection with the act which it is insisted was repealed, there is no such repeal implied in this case.
The caption of the act of 1922 (Acts 1922, p. 153) is: “An act to provide for the election prescribed by paragraph 1, section 4, article 8 of the constitution of the State of Georgia, to determine whether a levy for public school taxes shall be made additional to the levy of the maximum tax of five (5) mills on the dollar, allowed by the said constitutional provision to be made on recommendation of boards of education without an election; and to provide how said additional tax shall be levied when authorized by the necessary vote.” Section 1 of the act provides for call of elections under the provisions of the constitution referred to in the caption. For convenience section 2 of the act is again quoted: ■ “Be it further enacted, that in the call for said election the additional tax proposed to be levied shall be specified; and successive elections may be held until the additional maximum tax of five (5) mills on the dollar shall b¿ levied as permitted by-said constitutional provision.” The language of the caption, “an act to provide for the election,” etc.,, is sufficient to indicate to the members of the legislature that the body of the act will contain provisions appropriate for the call of elections under the specified provisions of the constitution. Authority to call the elec
The provision of article 8, section 4, paragraph 1, of the constitution of this State (Civil Code of 1910, § 6579), herein-before set out in the first division, authorizing “an additional levy” of taxes “on a two-thirds vote of those voting,” includes the language “not ,to exceed five mills.” This provision does not contain a minimum limit of the amount of tax that might be provided for, or specify any particular amount, but only expresses a maximum amount that can not be exceeded. It was thus left to the legislature to provide how and in what manner taxes might be levied under that provision of the constitution, not exceeding the maximum amount of five mills on the dollar. This being so, the above-quoted provisions of section 2 of the act of 1922 are not violative of said provision of the constitution on the ground that section 2 of the act provides “for a specification of the tax to be levied in the call for said election.”
The provision of the constitution, article 8, section 4, paragraph 1, as amended, quoted in the first division of this opinion, authorizes two classes of levies of taxes “for support of schools.” The first class refers to the levy of a tax throughout the county except in local systems to be apportioned to the several schools, and is authorized without regard -to any election; while the second class refers to a levy, additional to the first, of a tax of the same character and for the same purpose in designated subdivisions of the countjq which is made to depend upon the result of an election.Authority to make a levy of the second class is made to depend upon the result of an election in the particular taxing district, at which the vote of “two thirds of those voting” in favor of the levy of the tax shall be necessary to authorize the levy. This provision of the constitution authorizes both classes of levy of a
Authority to levy taxes up to the limit of ten mills on the dollar, for support of the schools as above indicated, is not affected by the existence of authority to levy a tax in a school district for payment of interest and reduction of principal on school bonds .maturing throughout a series of years, previously issued by the school .district for the purpose of building a sehoolhouse. Bonds of that character represent debt, provision for the making of which is extended to counties, municipal corporations, and “political divisions” of the State by article 7, section 7, paragraph 1, of the constitution (Civil Code of 1910, § 6563), and provision for which is made in sections 143-145 of the Code of School Laws of this State (Acts 1919, pp. 345-347). No such debt can be made by a political division “without the assent of two thirds of the qualified voters thereof.” This provision of the constitution confers limited power to create debt, but it is not a limitation of the taxing power of the State. Commissioners v. Porter Manufacturing Co., 103 Ga. 613 (30 S. E. 547). The constitution having thus conferred limited power to create debt, the legislature may provide means for paying debts created in conformity with the constitution, by taxation, in the absence of other constitutional limitation. Article 8, section 4, paragraph 1, of the constitution (Civil Code of 1910, § 6579) confers limited power upon counties to levy tax “for the support of public schools” in school districts, “on a two-thirds vote of those voting” at an election to be held in the district. This provision of the constitution should be. construed in the light of article 7, section 7, paragraph 1, supra, and so construed is not a limitation on the power to tax for payment of a debt. The limitation extends only to taxation “for support of the schools.” Where a debt is created under the first-mentioned provision of the constitution after a vote of two thirds of all the qualified voters of the district to be affected, it was recognized by the framers of the constitution that the debt should be paid. It was left for the legislature to provide for payment of the debt by taxation. It was not so in the framing of article 8, section 4, paragraph 1. In that provision the power to tax, not for payment of a debt, but “for support of the public schools,” was expressly authorized and limited
Under article 8, section 4, paragraph 1, of the’ constitution as amended, the proper county authorities may be authorized, without any election, to collect the taxes for support of the public schools from all taxable property in the county outside of independent local systems, amounting to “not less than one nor more than five mills on the dollar.” In addition to this tax said county authorities may, in independent local systems, municipalities, or school districts, levy and collect a tax upon all of the property in a district on a two-thirds vote of those voting, the amount of such tax “not to exceed five mills” on the dollar. In conformity with this latter clause of the constitution, the act of 1922 (Acts 1922, p. 153) was adopted. The caption of the act follows: “An act to provide for the election prescribed by paragraph 1, section 4, article 8 of the constitution of the State of Georgia, to determine whether a levy for public school taxes shall be made additional to the levy of the maximum tax of five (5) mills on the dollar allowed by the said constitutional provision to be made on recommendation of boards of education without an election; and to provide how said additional tax shall be levied when authorized by the necessary vote.” Section 2 of act provided: “That in the call for said election the additional tax proposed to be levied shall be specified; and successive elections may be held until the additional maximum tax of five (5) mills on the dollar shall be levied as permitted by said constitutional provision.” It will be perceived that article 8, section 4, paragraph 1, of the constitution, providing for the additional levy not to exceed five mills for the support of public schools in school districts, does not put a minimum limit upon such levy, but contemplates as small a levy in the school district as may be necessary. So, in providing for the election to determine whether a school tax should
The ruling announced in the seventh headnote does not require elaboration.
Judgment reversed on the main bill'of exceptions, and affirmed on the cross-bill.
Concurrence in Part
concurring specially, and dissenting in part.
1. I concur in the ruling in headnote 1, because the act of 1925 purports to amend Park’s Code but does not mention or undertake to amend the oifieial Code or any act of the General Assembly. I dó not wish to be committed to the view that an act to amend a private publication, even one of so concededly excellent a character as that mentioned, will amount to an amendment of the law of Georgia. It seems to me that a number of similar publications
2, 3. I concur in the rulings made in the second and third headnotes.
4, 5.Executors and Administrators, 24 C. J. p. 962, n. 25. I am of the opinion that the language used in the constitution, providing a tax fpnd “for support of the schools,” should be construed to include the purchasing or constructing of school buildings and grounds and all other property necessary for maintenance and support of schools. It seems to me that a limit to the tax which may be imposed by a school district is found in our constitution, paragraph 1, section 4, article 8, as amended in 1920. Ga. Laws 1919, p. 66. That provision of the constitution, after providing for a tax levy in counties and municipal corporations, is: “An additional levy to that already allowed, not to exceed five mills [italics mine], shall be permissible in . . school districts on a two-thirds vote of those voting.” I agree that paragraph 1, section 7, article 7 (Civil Code of 1910, § 6563) does not provide a limitation on the amount of such taxation. It merely provides for the creation of the debt. But the constitution (Civil Code of 1910, § 6564) provides that before such bonded indebtedness under the constitution shall be incurred there must be provision for the assessment and collection of a tax to pay principal and interest on the same. This means, of course, before the bonds are issued. Oliver v. Elberton, 124 Ga. 64 (52 S. E. 15). Thus we see that the framers of the constitution undertook to make certain that a tax would be levied to pay off bonded indebtedness before any bonds could find their way into the hands of purchasers. In each case whether provision for the tax can be made depends in turn on the constitution. If provision for the required tax ,can not be made within the limitation of the constitution, then the bonds dependent upon the tax levy can not be issued. “No tax can be levied in a local school district unless authorized by popular vote as provided by the amendment to the constitution, ratified November 2, 1920 (Acts 1919, p. 66).” Powell v. Hall Hdw. Co., 156 Ga. 614 (1a) (119 S. E. 595); McMillan v. Tucker, 154 Ga. 154, at p. 170 (113 S. E. 391); Jennings v. New Bronwood School Dist., 156 Ga. 15 (2) (supra); Brown v. Martin, 162 Ga. 172, at p. 178 (132 S. E. 896). In the case of Lindsey v. Wall, 149
6, 7, I concur in the rulings made in the sixth and seventh headnotes, upon which the judgment is reversed.