Case Information
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OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN I
Bonarab1.o T. X. Trlmble
First Aarletant State Superintendent
Austin, Texan
Dear Sir;
plnien roquert of follalYingC quo5tloM: n tw Belton es are anxloua 1 mattez, Paut ate axl County tax- axpaying mater, nwit a person .~ paid hie 1940 taxes?
*5. frr a parrron aoneidud a taxpeylae voter who has onlf render54 hla property tar tOrati0nP "6* Would a peraonvho hns real oz pP5OM1. preperty subjeot to taxeti?n, whlah Bar not been rendereb, teter and eligible be aOn$$dcrred a qualified tatpap%& I .to rote fa m bbad eleatiQn?* *2 Honorable T. Lf. TrImblo, pa@ 48
The mnner of holding a bond eleotlon in an inde- govamad by the pendant echo01 dlatrlet law regulating general eleotlona. Artid E788, Vernon*8 Annotated Civil Statutea, 34 Tama Juriaprud8no8, 650.
At th8 outret wa will aummrlao the quallfioationa Of Toter8 in an itidepandant l ohool diatrfat bond alaotian aa daiinad by tha Constitution and tha Statute8 of Tana.
We will fbn attmpt to answer oaoh apeoiiio quaatIon In tha ardor in whloh they hare baon aakad.
A pW8On oSiUi to vote in a bond elaation in an lndapan4ent aohool dlatr ot muat bar8 raaided in the Stat8 7 for ollb year, In tha oounty air montha, be OWE tha aga of twenty-one, must hre pld a poll tax prior to FebStury f&at praoeding the alegtion., axWept therafrom, muat ba a oitison of the Wnltad State8 aimI muat own tanblo pr0paz-t~ in tin ohool dlatrlat whIoh ha haa duly randared
A person under twenty-oar pars OS age, idiot8 and lunatiea, all parsons oonriotad pauper8 mpported bg tha county, faloql who80 ettiranahip haa not baen restored by pardon, and all aoldlera, aerlnea and eaaen employed In the aamIoe of tha aPmy or navy, are &laqurlIflad. Oonatltution of Texas, Art. 6, 800. 1, Z, Sa; Vernon*8 Annotate4 Cltll Statutaa Texaa Arta. EQ!U, 8955, E955a (by whloh said aeatlona of tha in our statutory law)* Oaxupball ta. Oonatitutlon were plaoed Wright, 95 3. W. (8U) 140 Taxer Publlo Utlllt~aa Oorporation lea 9. W. (I? d 1 10&B. In reply to rour rlrat quaatlon you are adtiaod our opinion before a peraon Wn Vat@, hia ptOpOrbf muat appSm on the tax roll.8 of the partietiar holding dlatrlat 6, 880. 38 of t&e Conatltutlon of Ten8; the election.
Barker ~a. WIleon, 805 9. W. 543; 37 J11rl8pru681~0 @8c*
Quaation m&bar two la anawarad tn the nO@tiYa. Thara la no rwqulrenvnt that a voter be a fJtat@ ana taxpayer in order to be qwlifl6b t0 tota Ia an IMe- muty pendant aohool dlatrlot 816otion. saotlon 5a of Artiala Of the cOMtitUt:On 0s T-8 Previde8 that oti qualified eleetora who own taxabrs propertp in the d&W at whU* sooh f8 bsld, an4 who her8 dulf rsndarad ume for tam- *hotIon tlon ahall ba qualffiad to '10ba*,
Honornble T. LI. Trimbla, page 83
Gueatlon numbor three la anawared in the negative. Sohool DCt~r,eU~~nr,'E~~~'~V~~ $&!4~~&e~~a~~~~ of Balton and a separate and dlatlnot entity, having ita own governing body. amen&a lrort -8ennth Legleleture House Ml1 #lOD
Artlo 8955 of the Revhad 0 vi1 Statutoa of the $tab i to the quallfioatlona Texas, relative to tots, aald law be- in part, as fol- oari* efieotlr4 on Woh 5, 1941, and reads, lowat
"Provided that a alty poll tax shell not be required to rot* in any eleotlon in thlr State, emapt in olty elaotlon8.~
CLueatlon number rour la anaw4rad In the nogtlte. in the Constltutloa or Statutes There la no r6 ulramnt of Texan stating that e axes must be actually paid, the only ra- qulremaat being thet a qualified eleotor muat onn taxable prop- the diatriat la held and who has erty rrhero auoh leotlon the 8-e duly reml*red taxation. Boa. Ja, Art. 6 of the Oonatltution OS Texasi Artlole 8965a, Yemon*s Annotated Clrll StatUt48; ampb*ll WI. Wright, upra. answered in the affirmatlre.
7?;unetlon numb*r rlro As stated above, the only repulrvmant in ths Statutes and the Constitution of Texas to quallrl*d to tote in a bond la that said property must bm in the aohool dlstrlob eleotion We. 3a, and aam must be aalr rendered ror rtlcle MISSa, Vernon** Annotated or the Constitution, and A Clvll Stetutoa, cueetlon numbor air Is anarared in the negative. 34~. 3 Art. 6 or the Constitutlo~ epeeirieaiiy states said property must be dul for taxation rondered before a voter is sll@ble in e bon eleotion.
As to the manbig ~dulp rend4r46~ tfu oeurt* oi in the 6aaea or Campbell vs. Wrh%ht WI To=* this State, Publie Utllltl4a 8upra, h*r* bad th4t lf a* *4 Honorable T. K. Trlmble, page #4
property of a oitlzen is on the tax roll aod he lo 11s ble ror the taxes 8sSesS0d he bae “duly fendered the samem lmo- rar as hie right to rot6 under the provlalona Or Article 6, See. 9a of the Constitution, oonoerned, without regerd to the manner in which the rendition of such property was made. Property may be rendered by them pereonally or through an agent aseemed by the tex asaaasoc ii the to render the pro rty. We are pro rty cwner has rolled r am oaln a oopy of our oplnlon Numhar O-11 8, whloh more dear&y erlnes r E[ this term.
Truatlng that thle answpyera your questions, we are Ver)r truly yours ATTORWET OTiZQRAL OF 'i"EXAS COB-a
APPROVEUAPR 8, 1941 ATTORNEY GZNSRAL OF TEXAS APPROVED **INION coMYnTca BY @