Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
June 0, 1930 Hon. Coke R. Stevenron Lieutenant Governor
hetln, Taxas
Dear Sir:
Oplnlon Ho. O-Q Ro:
By your latter af Mar
thm opinion of this Depetmrnt
whether Houm Bill Ho. 699 la
0, Seotlon 7, or Artlole S, S
Tour st6temeat t
which wo a4opt,.lm as r0u0rt3
Thler the t
ing lin the 8mat
1ruJ mlrplua (
speola1 rund
Sx-4 Calld Se
amended) and t
l the aountiem an4 ho ammmta they PI4 eligible to pUti- Id anount.8 the Stnta am 198S-1957, inalu- igible ror p6rtlolp6tlon ln e find, bona0 nd mmant8 or road 4latrlot.m outd.anaing on 0. -pt. 17, lose, the dr00tire
date of orlgiml sot, hare bean dedgnrtmd State Hl~hmym.
(s) TO onlarge thq oopa of Chapter lS, Aots of Third Call*4 Seadon, 42114 Lqlslature, aurplua and axcamf~ lnoam: make mid .,-...,.,, “. ,,., .,,,,.,,.. .,.., .I.. . . “... .., .,. *2 - Eon. Coke R. Eltevenaon, June 8, 1939, Pega 2
"(a) Airailabla to ths oountl44 and to 4din04 road dl8trlots ror the payment or.prinoipal, lntor48t, and sinking rum3 nqulruwnt8 oti obligation8 or 8aia oountiea an4 r-4 di4triots 188ood ror the oon8truo- tlon of atsnl roe44 not a part or the iibj$mtod ht. highway8 an4 s~rtor: 0 jurl8dlotlon over rhioh i8 mtalnoa In the local ootmty Ooad88lonar8* Court@.
Th4 prorlaion8 of the Oonstltution to whloh mu r&or rud ai rollomr
*Art1010 s, &otlon 51. Th4 L4glml8tur4 hall hato a0 power to aak4 any grant or author- ize the ukin(l of my grant Of pub110 aonof to any individual, 488ooiation of Indlrldrul8, munloipal or other oorpontlon rhat8o4v4r, . .." a, Lkotiotl 7. The Le&8l&me -Arti
shell not bar4 powor to borrow, or In any mmnor dirort tram it8 purpoao ny ~pool~l mind that may or 0-t to, oom into the Traamury; @rd aha 1 rrko It perml tor my peroon or porrons i
to borrow, rithhold, in my manner dirort tr omlta purpo80 any l peol.al~und, or any part thorooi.'
Uo dll flr8t 001w140~: 1. Th4 right oi the Stat4 to r8tQ.w Indebtaano88 of oountlos n4 road 4I8triot8 lnourmd ln the oon8truotlon or: (a) Publlo roads ma40 a pm-t 0r the 6teto hi&m qata a8 doalgrutod br the Elghrry COlari88lOnOrm. d road8 not a part of aaoh 4omlgnato4 8ymtu, lrft Publlo UIIdor oontrol of the ooantiam.
t. The right of the Stat4 to ral&urme oouutior
and road dlmtriotm fo r monoy8 lraady oxpanda thu on publlo x-4448.
Ron- ;;oke I?. Stovenaon, Juno 9, 1939, PagO 3
The provlelona 0r Section 51 or Artlolo 3 0r the
Constltutlon apply to oountles 68 well a.8 to otbar munlclpa1 eorporatlon8. Bexnr County ~8. Linden, 220 S. W. 761. In this Section, however! w4 rind no suoh llmltatlon as la round In sootion 44 or Art1014 S the Constltutlon, relating to the peyment 0r 014Im8 or 1n41v14u410, that the claim must be founded upon a prm-orimtlng legal obllgatlon. *'So that, in Our opinion, the State is inhabIta by 8UOh Sootion only J from the bo8towal of @-atUItia8 upon It.4 polltioal subdlrl- Road Dl#ttiOt No. 4, Sholby County, ~8. Allred, 123 5::57, 60 S. W. (t4) 164. Roimbursamont may be made by the state to It8 polItlo4l 6ub4lvl6lon6, therMor6, 0r 6OUoy8 expanded by muah po1itioa1 6UbdiTi6iOnS for Stata, a8 41stlngu18haa frtmi purely looal or m~nlolpal, purposes. Suoh r~inbursemont , 0r 4OUr84, QUSt bo on aooount Of obligations inourmd by the politioal sub4IvIslon for the benoflt ot the atate as a wholo. Thapndsrtaklng ror whIoh the monoys wor6 expended by such pollfloal subdivision muet be one rhloh the state lt8Oir might iawruiiy have undertaken for the bbnsflt or its poop14 a8 a whole, 0164 theIslmbUr#eaent would bs the riving of a yatuity an4 St8n4 oondoanod by the Constl- tnt1on.
The dlmtfnotion wd draw bore is one which was lmpllsdly, if not xpro88ly. recognized by OCR Supreme Court in the case of Road DiUtriOt, No. 4, Sholby County, V8.
Allrod, cited 6upra.
It IS pOrh4pS U411 t0 remark In pa88ily that such 68 the Stute is authorized to make to It8 poll-
mstitution tlca1 sub4ivi8Ion8 must bo 11646 In auoh manner aa not to v'iO1at.e other pro7i6$On6 Of OUT Con6tItutIon, 6uoh 48 th08o forbidding the p886Ing of 10081 or sp8olal laws, an4 ths the State, of the debt, pm84nt or prospoo- .e@Uptlon, tlvO, Of it8 pO1ItiOa1 6ubdivimions.
That the building or pub110 road8 18 a iunction Of 6Ovemmont belonging primarily state thoroughly is ~tabllshsd by the 4eoislons and Is rooognlzad in ths Con- ~tltutlon.
Artlole 11, Sootion 2, or the Constitution provides: "The odn6truotion of jails, oourthou888 and brldees and the emtablirbmont or oounty poor- *4 Hon. Coke X. Stevenson, June 9, 1839, Page 4
hOU646 an4 rams, and the 14yIng out, oonstruotlon an4 repairing or 00unt.y l-Cad6 shall be prorId ror by gOnOr 14WS."
Art1014 16, Saotlon U, ai ths Constitution pro- Vi446 66 fO11OWS: ah411 make PrOVisiOn “The kgiShtLU4 iOr l4yIing out an4 working pub110 road6 ror the buildily 0r brid668, an4 ror utlli& rin40,
fOriOitUT48, and oonvlrt labor to 411 those QIlrQO646." ~8. u.6L66tOUO oOU.UtT,
III th0 046a Or MObbiU6 Court, mpeaki6&thro&Sh 25t 8. II. at pago tU.b, oar tu~6a4 PhrSOri, meld: JUSti "The 46kbfiSbunt Of publIo bi&lwa~S bslry primarily 4 fbuotlon oi government belonging to the 8kt6, the right to .mtabli6h th6m Teaid* prtmarily in the Leglmlaturo, and, in the abmanoo Of COn6titUtiOml the LOgiUl4tUN r68triotiOn8, may urolme that rlght'or dmlogate it to a poll- tiO.1 6UbdiVi6iOll of the 8ktO...* & the m 0460 it~i6 held that pub110 road6 within border8 of 4 oounty belong not to the oounty, but to the St&o.
And in Boxer Oounty 16. Linda, tt0 8. w. at p6g4 76t, the Suprra CoIyt, 8~46kiIIg through Phil&S, C. T., rldl
"The glrin(( 4way of pub110 10n4~, it6 .pp1106- ti0ll 16 t0 other than 6triOtly gOv~rKlmOnt.1 ptllP06a6, 16 Wbt the PrOviSiOn (&'t. 3, &O. 51) t’l.rdU 46~iinUt.” And on page 765:
“Thor (OOMti48) l x’. nd4 [966] of by the 8t.t. ror th4 ooll4otlon 0r taXiS, for the diffU810II of 4uoatl0n, ror the oonmtruotlon and Palntenano4 ot pub110 hi~hWay# 444 ror oar4 0r the poor. ul 0f thou. thilQ8 am mattOr6 Of Stat*, [68] aiS- tingUIShO4 rroa munioIp41 oonoern. They IntlPstoly *5 Eon. Coke Ii. Stevsnson, June 0, 1939, Page 5 The countlee nro ovelled of
effect all the people. aa efriolent and convenient meam for the discharge of the State*4 duty in their regard to 411 the people." The Leglslatura has dstermined that it Is not fair and equitable that oountiea an6 road dletrlote ehould be re- qulrsd by tazatlon of their own cltlzsm to bear the entire 00at 0r con4truotln.g 4na maintaining pub110 road4 r0r the b4nerlt of the State at larg4, but that this expense should b4 born4 by the Stat4 and paid from the prooeeda of 4 tax upon tbomol ltm oltlr4ns rho ~44 tha highways and roads.
The retlr4msnt by ths State of lndebtedners of oountlse and road districts lnoarrad In the oon4truotlon or public roads, whather those roada ar4 or are not m44a 4 part of the dealgn- atea stats highway ~eitam, 4044 not in our opinion violate the provl8loas or sootion 51 or Artlole 3 or our Constitution.
We are likewloe of the opinion that the relmburse- merit by the State of the oountlea and road district4 for moneys already expended by than! on public road8 doss not 0onetitut4 a violation or the prorlalona 0r ssotion 51, Artlole 5, of the Coaatitotioa, provided that the oountiea and road alatrlot4 are required to uae the mon4y4 thus returned to thsm for the oonstruotlon and maintenance of pub110 roads or ror the retirement or outstanding indsbted- neae lnourr4e in the couatruotion or aalntenanoe or pub110 roada.) That portion or Hou4e Bill No. 'W8, aubaectlon Ilo. 4 or amended 4eotlon 7, round on pagea 19 and 20 of th4 Aot, rhioh dlreots the making of oaah payment.4 to counties to rolmburae th4m for road tax ploneya used to aircharge obllga- tlona dlgibls ror participation under the original Act la ot doubtful conatltutlonallty beoaum U44 of the payment.6 thu4 lode im not restrioted by the Aot. Thus, though the rolmburaomant la intendad to be mado for moneya expandyl the countlao in their oapaolty as agents of the Stat0 ror a State purpomo, to-tit, the oonetruotion 0r publio'roads, the repafrent ia to the oounty In ita pro- priotary capaolty and might be devoted by the oounty to purely 10041 purpoaea, or, in any event, to purposes other than tho44 for which the tax moneys were originally oolleot- ed by the countlea under and by virtue of their oonetltu- tional authority and within the oon4tltutional U.&its Plaoad upon suoh oountloa.
In our oplnlon, 4lnoe the tax.4 oolleoted by the
countlos and out or whioh the expondltur4a were made, wore
,.,_ Hon. Coke H. Stcvonaon, June 0, 1939, Pug4 6
assessed for a State'purposa, tha relmburaemeat must be made in auoh manner that reller 14 arroraoa the oountles in the same oapaolty. We do not believe that the road end bridge fund of the County, created by the Coaatltutloa, may be nads the vehlole through rhioh funds 4v4llabl4 to the county for other purposes, for whloh the authority of the oounty to tax 14 llmitod by the Constitution, m4y be thus augieentsa~.
Since the relmbura4ment ooaatltutea a reatltutloa of 4 fund colleoted from It6 oltlzoa6 for road and bridge purposes, to hold that this r-4 might bs aevot434 to other u8e4 would be 64y, in 4rreot. that oountlea m4y levy 4 tax ror one purpoae and expend lt for 4noth4r. Cur objootloa to thi4 6eotloa, horovar, 144~ be obrl4tad by requlrlng that the money6 thus returned to the oountloa be used ror ro4d ooa- atruotion 4aa m4latm4aoe, or ror the rotlremont of outstaad- lag obligation6 laauod for uoh purpoaa.
Coaala4r4tloa or Eouae Bill Ho. 688 likarlse lnvolvaa the right of the State to make available to oountles 4na road al6trlot4 certain surplus run46 to aooumulate under If aneoted into road ooa- Hoaae Bill 688, law, for lateral stru0t10.n.
The State may delegate to Its polltlosl aubdlvl-
aloaa, as its agsata, the diaoharg'e or auoh govarnmoat4l funotloas and dutl6a prlnu!irlly resting upon the State a6 the ooa6truotioa 4na 6ulaten4noe 0r pub110 rO4d6, and m4y provide the runda to be used auoh agents for auoh pur- poses. Barer County vs. Linden, 220 S. IV. 761. It la therefore apparaat t&t the prOvl6lOn6 of House Bill 688 making arall4ble to oountlea and road dlatrlota urplua runda to accumulate under House Bill 688, fr *motea Into law, ror later41 rO4d ooaatruotlon, does not rlolate the prorlalOns or Section 51, Article 3, or our Coaatltutloa.
The lest con6lderatlon lnvolraa in tha aetermlna- tloa ol oonatltutlonallty or House Bill 600 ooaoern4 the 1lmlPitlona on the rlght'ot the State to uso the surplus alraady aooumulat4d nnder the admlniatratloa of Chapter 13, a a amended.
The xlatlng Aot 4ad Its aren&naata provide rot the payment of one-fourth of the g4aollae levy Into the county 4ad road alstrlot highray rua. The Aot lovylag th4 tax likewise Informs the taxpayer that 60 muoh of the lery *7 Eon. Coke B: ~teyasoa, June v, 19%&, hge 7" bonds l llglbla
dll be 4.rot.d to the purpoaoa 0r Act ma4 ror,~rtloipatlon Ln ~14 tund. Tha l u*a4maatm prorid the bonds rhloh still ba thus 8liglblr ror pdiiofpatim. The Aot, ~m'romt ~aoantl~ mmaa4m4, in 19S7, mtdomr
:F'. *. v.l.ml *ill aon& 4opomit.d to the are4lt ai th fund rith tha o&i&y iti romd'dimtriat hlghwm
Bkte Trumuy up to Eloptubu I , lVS9, us han- by l ppropridmd to uid Z'.m~OtiVe Oortnti@m l +, rom&dimtkfefm mad l brll bo rmomltd, U8fiMd .Tho orl&.amlAot~~~4 prior auddmsiti:mootmlaoU 8l~%W~provlml0~, dth the .UOO~~~OII tlrt' mba&lally iq the o~S&nd Aot mul prior uoadmmt8, t&.&atom oolno+o with tha riamml blawlau th~.inrolva&
It IS thw~.ppuut that tha mmrplum wM,oh hm 4m0d~ b6aa 600~4.8t04 ~m 80u00w rra th6 pg 0r this Stata rponthe l xpremm l mmarmnoo oontmia.4 Aotm lmvyln(l tha tax that the tmxom thw 8mmmmme4 an4 oolleate4 walA bo 4evot.d to l oUim4 ~rnorn,.,~~~ly~ ble ror pu=tlolWloa tho.rotirwut bondm al &
Un4or.our oonmtitrrtlonml pnrimlti and upma Phimamt prlnolploa or amtlom l nd fmir 4.0&g,. moh tuplua bmoau a fund, l nalogouo to a tramt fun4, l 1.y lied to any othu pflrpaag an be ana uuaot d tha oaplmtm aad rind P ahrge or the pvpomc~~~,uldah if was mmlleoto~. whimh fud Uhma thm oblliytiorrm -6 oolloote4 to y 8hmU hmta bomn oarplotoly and fi2dJ.y dlaohu 04, that a uhau "all of moh ll&%)lm ~b~iptloaa me htl y paid,- f 5 mrploa then wining rul,'Fa our
van. Coke n. :;ttvoueon, June 9, 19~9, F.s~~t 0
opinion, be appropriated by the Legisleture to other purposes. ?hrre ia no lmpliostlon that suoh funds in that event should be returned to or held subjeot to the will of those paying ana it 1s not thought that the Constltutlon ln- the tarts, ttnaea to prohibit the uee of e surplus remaining In (I special fund after the purpose for whioh the fund uas created haa been completely ana rlnally discharged. Auditor Genersl vs. :;tste Treacrurar (Xloh.) 7 N.W. 714.
You are thererore aarlsea that eo muoh or Eouso
sill No. 688 am attemptr prior to the run payment or all obllgatlons already elldible ror partloipetloo, to devote the surpltm already ooumulatoa in oounty and mad distrlot highwa7 runa to the peymant of obligations mnae tllalble ror muoh partlolpatlon ror the rlrrt time br suoh Lclll, ana to other purpoclos, la unoonstltutlonal, as coa- a altersIon a special tuna. stitutlng
Your6 vary truly ATTORNTY GlrN':RAL OF TEXAS ~'lY~!lrohlla By -- R. R. Fairchad As8lstant FXF : PBP
AlwtOvsD: ( sign0a)
Gerald C. hna
f.TTORHST GiQWihL OF Ti%AS
APPROVRll oplnlorl oommlttee By KCH oI.uIllnnn