*1 Hon. J. C. Gowdy Opinion No. O-1928

County Auditor Re: Commissioners' court has author- Wichita County Wichita Falls; ity to pay office rent on space for

Texas supervisors of the State Department of Public Welfare.

Dear Sir: acknowledge receipt of your letter of Jan-

This will in-which you seek the opinion of this depart- u=y 31, 1940, ment on the question: "I would appreciate very much being advised by your department whether or not the Commissioners' Court of this county have authority to provide of- fice space, in a private building and pay rent on same for the Supervisors of the State Department of Public Welfare where such officials are Area Su- pervisors over several counties? In this case it Is for Area #27, State Department of Public Welfare, ?- covering about seventeen countles.w It Is provided in House Bill 885, Acts of the 46th Legislature, 1939, now known as section 1 of Article 2372e-2 of the Revised Civil Statutes that:

"Section 1. The County Commissioners Courts and the City Commission of any incorporated town or city of this State are hereby authorized to lease, rent, or provide office space for the purpose of aiding and cooperating with the agencies of the State and Federal Governments engaged in the admin- istration of relief to the unemployed or needy peo- ple of the State of Texas, and to pay the regular monthly utility bills for such offices, such as lights, gas, and Waters; and when in the opinion of a majority of a Commissioners Court of a county such office space is essential to the proper admin- istration of such agencies of either the State or Federal Governments, said Court Is hereby specifl- tally authorized to pay for same and for the regu- lar monthly utility bills for such offices out of the County's General Fund by warrants as in the pay- ment of such other obligations of the county.w *2 Hon. J. C. Gowdy, page 2

It Is our opinion that such article fully authorizes the commissioners' court to make the expenditures Inquired about, if a majority of the membership 'thereof has concluded the necessity therefor, even though the office space so furh- ished, might result in benefits to be derived to the needy of adjoining counties.

Yours very truly ATTORNEXGRRRRAL OFTMAS By /s/ Lloyd Armstrong Lloyd Armstrong, Assistant APPROVED FEB 21, 1940

/s/ W. F. Moore

FIRST ASSISTART ATTORNEY GENERAL

APPROVRD: ;~NI;;CN~TREZ

BY: ,

LA:AW:wb