Case Information
*1 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 h8 boon r.OslVed. StPtUtW,
CiVil 8t8ttlt(l8, A81OAOLT' COWt, ror.6 bd OA the uthorirtlon 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 QUdStiOli8 hW.‘eiMft8r (see oplnfon Attornoy (krreral, data4 rubaitted. 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 be plaaed UVOA 8Wh Al’tiUlr Qi th6 IrtatUt*8. *2 !Ian. Ernest Cuinn, ia@ 8
30 have examlatsd tb8 opinion the pr8oOdiog sdministration 01 thle department, you rarer in your to rhioh 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 48 8hOWA by thQ la8t rOOBdiA& FedUa inhabikAtlS, a direct tsr or Aot over ? ve (S) ‘c8RtS 00. thr COMM, tBlU8tiOA OS Ona Hundred (djlOO.00) DOlLal'r may be authorized and levied by the Caedaaioaarl)~ Court ol suoh county, r0r the pllrpoae s(lrertlring pre- motlng $rowtb and d~TelopmeAt ot raid aounty anb the CO~~S~IOA- rsat~ thd its ovunty prorLdbd b&ore OT8' Court of any 8UOh ooutrriea &all bo l utho rlsed to levy any tax 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 C0lKd88iOOOT8' Court of nay 8uCh oolmty shall be paid tile Board or County ~YOlO~lUOAt All in twelvrl (II!) monthly iAStAll.A#BAtr a8 6OlleOt.d. Z%OU678 reoaived by thr Board Of COUAtf LWOlO&MSeAt only ror tha purpomm Iron! such tax shall be expanded by this Aot. and 8uCh BoarG ahall annually authorized reader an lttualzo4 acoount to ths County AUditOr all reorlpt8 and di8buxsamonts. *EM?. 5. There is hrrrby craatsd la 8uCh oouatieo in rav0r ot this tax a Board 0r county
a~ mng vote D#WOlO&mU3At, which Shru dovote it& tilW 0ftOI-W t0 the Cr0Wth, Md b8VcllOpSiWt Or 8~ adTsrti86SWt 8U0h QOUJlty. The trosrd Of County t?W@lOJvlt3At 8hAu 0onmiet Slva (5) meiuber;r1 two (a) to beqppointad by the Caaai8sionar8~ Court OS 8UOh oouatiad, reprs- MAtdim Or thf4 '@griWbUMl fntQrO8t Or 8UOh 0OUJIt~W3, Ot @OUtlty 8Mt Di” aAy auOh who hall r801d0 oUtsid* *3 county; and thres (3) of whom shall bs appointed by the board of Dlrsotor8 of tbs Chambur oi 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 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 mrve.”
Art&b18 I, ssotfon 56, 0r our cowtitutioo, prooidw 68 r0ilm8t
Y!h* L@8laturO 8hall not, rompt a8 othOniO0 prtitlded in thl8 Conrtltution, pa88 fmy looal or rpuolal law, authori8lngt the artalr8 0r oountlO8, oitiO8, ~tiugulsting
tom8, ward8 Or sobool distriot88..... -cr86thbg 0rri0e+ prr8oribin thu powem and dUtib8 Of OfriOar8, in OOUIItiO8, 0 f th8, faIU, rlOotlo5 OF aohool dlrtrlot8; . ..* It i8 oluar that law under oon8idOntioo rOgufat.08 tbu l tralr8;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 s, Sootloa 56? the Ql'0Vi8iOlU 0r Article
A 1m1 whloh appllo8 only to part or a natural ale88 of porsow or thin@ must prudlaate it8 inalurion of th8 part and sxolueloa of thO baluou up05 oharaotori8tlo8 &WOtil82 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 6peofal km8 I? that they rert on tibitnrjr des&nationi that they b0 AOt aabmae and'affsot all of the ola88 whioh tho are mtualu relutud. 65 R.G.L. pp. 014-816~ 1E Aah 3Ur. PO f46, smith 1. (ct. Cr. app.), 49 9. 8. (eai 939; mhdolph v. St&*, stat0
(Ct. cr. Appl), 86 S.16. (26) 484; Clark v+ Plnloy, 93 Tex. 171, 64 &'n. &34S; City oi Ft.‘:iortb v* Bobbitt, lE1 'i'ex. 14 36 SW. (Zd) 490, U 3.K. (Zd) &lS3~ Fex6r County 1. 'Iya@n, lZ& TOI. (Ed) 467. SU.8, 97 s.Yi.
Baoau80 population aa a baala for alaaalrioatloa bu b&o rwtalned by court8 in rerpeot to legl8latlon on oert4in 8ubjeOk, it ha8 bean a88umed, th6t erroneou8ly, population braetcotr will 88rvu Zn all lnatanose. bo avoid the oondamaatlon of thrc Constitution. lhb miatak6n a88UMpti0Il proeaeda rr0m a iallure note t.h8t population has been SW- Cainad a8 6 baai for alaaririoation only in ttrO86 ilutMOU8 whore it bore 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 baa 8 or 0r the 8ame natural Olas8, olaa8ltfhatioa 0n the e population has.been tenned arbltnrp 8elaotion, an6 the law ha8 boon held b8 spoolal aml looal.. Eamdolph v. State, eupm.
'Jibore population might hate sompd a8 M ritLonal bwir ror ah88irfiWfiiOB, ii the objeot an4 purpo80 et th0 to lnarwlle the oompsniatlon of oountp 0rri0Om.~ law had bain 8i5Oe thr’purposu Or the parti0Uik.r lur WL8 to lorrar 8u0h OompuMatioa the OG88ffiWti0I3 Was: bald to be iUVOEt& Od 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 development 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 OUIIIBU*, of not lea6 thnn lZS,OOO am nor6 greosalng Psdural 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 tins of the paerbge 0r the law, xv88 Bl inha county.
Itt mq 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 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
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 to tax pami;tlng a oounty far tha purpors of adrertiaing and ita @owth anb QeVelO~JmAt, It muat bo u on tho pl’OZOtiA6 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 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 125,000 178,* inhabitanti8, arrd a city of 90,000 mom I5babItaata. Oount,Ies or iea8ar popul8tloa tkre Mt uaroiaa such power. me Ldw thomroro oarmr) pmeittd o’ut iS t&s top of the natural braokst (&ammln,g populntioa lW,OOO inhabit~enta In 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~~for the erabmee all POWW* Ths law tharerora doe8 not inrilude wLIch nati~r~lly belong to the slaaa en the very~baair for claac 'Itication selooted DT the Lsqialatura.~ Tha olaraIfioatIoA Is illusory, 81 mere de6ignQtiOA whioh ia Ao olasaIfIcAtion at all, bat, on the coAtrmy, Aa Invemted dIr,oriaIAntorp aa the ltiw oonrIdstad bjr our Bupmn!b Court fn tins Tpum cmw. this purported claaai-
T?m arbftmry aharabtar 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, Sll aountIra AX& S?isb), 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?, tax rcr similar were pcmaItted levy n SiEiltr purpoetm. Rare the size of the aity within the oount$waa deemed of no lmport.Qnc a. ConsIderInG tlieae two'lawe toyetLzer, It la obaarrad that oountisa saving population8 roasding 174,QOO la88 than ZO6,~OOO iAhabitaAt8 ar’r not psrfdttofi to sxoPeia@ to hx auoh purpoaea~ IIt thQ 10% AOt, 80 ASW the power *6 Hen. Emeat OhmI 2age d
oounty offloors are created or authorized, but In tbo 1935 Lot, In the form or a board of oountr derelop- now oounty oifioare, 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,sr4 In population llr ttbb dlroriralnatlom thus rffcsotsd?
ArtIolo 3, 3eotIon 98, of our CoMtatIon, I8
do8lgned. In par8, to IJfsurr that our 8yrtua of county omra- amat 8hall be as ~Ifom a8 I8 pos8iblr. Jt 18 iatende 8 prevent p48sag4 of law8 which ctisorin!f.nak betwean the: OowMos OS thl8 State witbOUt adequate and 4Ub8tantIal dlffar- 4IlOW In OhWzl4teri8tiOil Ot.th4 Individual CO'Unti48 indicative, rrtioaallp, a luO488Ity th8 dl84rimiinaiiiofL Tha law IA&U oonridaratloa Olearly ViOl*t48 th4 prOTIrfan8 it8 IStiAifMt 8pirit Oi~tG?tiO~O 8, 88tttiOIl 88, aad alId p\tI-&IO88, 8nd it i@ th8rOfDra UnOoMtitUtiOMi aBd void. The opinloa of the preo~dln6 tLdSi4iilrtrati6n of thf8 f&da%8 July 14, 1056 addrra8ad.to thr Hanorabl8 departmeat, liarid E. 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 Sp888iOII Or th8 Opinion Of this dSpUtSIMt, w4 f&ink It oloarlp 8rron40u8. 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 this deprtment'eonstruIng It8 pro- nullity, ma oplnlom rm VI8iOD8 wouk3 04rv4 no urefu1 plupo44*
Your8 very truiy =Y /d R. n. Fafrohlld A8oIe!-ant