Case Information
*1 Bonorable J. C. Obvdf
County Audltor
Viahhltr Pallr, Texrr
nion of thlr depart- I) been reoeirrd. Ve s.
am0 v*8 toted In Pre- 7, Texar, mount ose or oanrtruotlon, maln- uaadamized, grarrlod or Doe8 the Commis~l0~r8’ Oourt have author- ity to do thte work in the mm@ unnec th8t thex provide for other improvementa mad oonetruatloa on the aounty hlghway 6~etem iarteed OS ark- lng ior bide Iroe private OontrfWtbIg oenoeraet’ *2 Honorable J. 0, Gew4~, p4r #2
Authority 16 gIoen by Seotlon 62, Artiole S, of the Conrtitutlon, to eng oounty, my polItica 8ub4lvl8ion of the county’, any number of mlfoinlng oountle4, eta., aot- Ing under legIalatlve provl8Iba, upon a vete of a two-thlr48 maJorIt o? the qualIfIe4, rerident, propert tupayerr of the dletrlat or tbrrltorj to be affeote4 thereby, dlitlon to all othrr aebta, to lreue bonds In any mount not in es- aeao of one-fourth of the r8seaeecld rrluation of the real property o? rush 6i8triot or territory, ior, among other pur- poaee, the follovingt
‘The oon4truotlon, aalntenanae operation of graveled or pave& road8 ati turnplkee, maoaUulre4, la aid thereo?.’
Your flrrt qur8tIon relate8 to the right of a rod dlrtrlct under thr prorl4ion4 o? the ConatItutIoo and purouult aa Aot o? the Leglrlature, to devote part of an lsrue \ bon&r, 8.uly tote4 by the taxpayer4 OS the roe.4 dlstrlot,
the purohare a? road ma6hlnery.
St Ir elementary that the fun48 UsrIve from the fro8 purpomer 8peolfle4 8ale o? bend8 uy not 4lrerted Aranrar Gouotr b the prope8ItIon submitted rhotocs. ~4. lklWan-Fultoa Partun Coapmy, 191 8.V. 666; Heathma tn. (2d) 160; BuggIn ~4. BaQen, 269 S.W. 204. Slngletar~,
It follon where a aemrture from the pmparltlon appearing on the bdlot the on17 quertion Ir paper lr alleged, vðer expenditure oonteplatad Ir within or without th@ it4 or, under o*r wrtloular propo4ltIon true con4truetlea; @et of faato, whether or not the puroh84e o? oaohInery would be InoIUeatel and neoe8rsry to the oon4trwtIon. lulnte- roadr. Mcme ve.. mallsn, nanoe and operatlon 844 8.W. 2B6. ositiont to thle end, It has been he16 Construing pr by the oourts %oa n IncluUer a bridge OOn8tltUtIng “g neoeeclary length in the coa4, an4 *turnpIkesa means barb- rurf~e4 roaQ4. Amnsar Gouaty Pasture va. Colman-tulton v4. Wullen, rupn. Caaginy; AU-8
By an analogy of re&ronIng this deprrtaent hae held l aquI8itIon ‘A rumry 18 neoeeaar~ of a rlglrt-of- Also, right-of-way agent0 ray”. (Opinion Bumber O-962). *3 Ronorable J. G. GoMy, paee #S
a8y be pal4 from the bond fun4 (Oplnlon O-1379); that bond aoney may be use4 far frnolng land soqulred for right-of-vay where bonds rem toted for the purpose of puroharing rlght- of-vay for the u44 of the State HIghway Department In bulld- Ing state derlgnated highways. (O?lnIon G-2460).
I? the Commlsslontrr~ Court exerclrer thrlr option
to oonrtruot tht roads contemplated in 8614 $46,000 bon4 i44US themerlves, 8&t 8tiprrvlse meme lnatea4 at hiring then \ue believe there 14 no doubt private oontraotor, maohinery bought ths purpose of oonstruoting ior u14 mlntalnlng these partioular road8 would br lnoldental an4 neoeasary In carrying out the purpose for vhloh the bon48 nre vote4 - that Ir, oonstruot m4 maintain pub110 roa4s. It 18 our opinion fro8
Therefore, that money derived the 881s of bonds nay be used to purohaee road maohlnery be ua?4 In oonrtruotlng an4 maintalnlng road.r oontemplated in ma14 $46,000 bond leeue.
In anmvering question nuaber tvo, ve find th8t Artlole 23686 Vernon’s Annotate4 Rev1884 Gltil Statute8 of Texas pro- exaept In oa8es of publlo oalamity, a oontraot oall- vides lng for the l xpenQlture of $2,000 or more from oountf fun48, must rulmltted for oompetItI+e bI4r upon publlohed notloe, an4 oontraot w8t be let to the lonrt urd beat bidder. A oontraot requlrlng the expendlturi of less than fi2,OOO end more than $600 must be let at oompetltlre bid8 by Qotmle8loner8’ Court, exoept o&se of public neeereitr pub110 oalul,ty. The purpose o? thtee ~rovlrlons 24 to enablt oountien te ob- tain the pertomantre of any publlc vork at the lowest poerible Rowever, the CoauI8rIoners~ Court her the oort taxpaycrr. option a? carrying work itself an4 the provirlone Artlole 23688 @a not apply to any work done under the direat aupervIrlon o? the County CoeaIsslanerr pal4 for bt the day. Gul? Bitullthlo Compen;l ~8.. Rueoes County (Coamiarlon a? (26) 305; 11 Tex88 Jurlepru4enoe, 843. Appeals) it 1s our oplnton the Gomml8elonerr’
Therefore, Court har suthorlty to do this In the 8aae manner they provlde ?or other lmprovementr end oon8truotIon vork on ths oountr hlghva,y sgetem in8terd of asking for blde fca
Bonoreble J. C. Oowdy’, page #4
prlrate oontraatin6 ooncerns.
Trulrtlng that thla anawes your quertlons, w are very truly youra ATTORNEY QDWtAL OF TEXM APPROVEDJAN 21, 1941