OFFICEOFTHEATTORNEY GENERALOFTEXAiS

**AUSTIN -c.mNm** 

**--**

xoRorab1e E. P. Jennings aoautp Auditor Hardln County Koulltze, Texae

am Court of ‘~ hao noauthor6and payfor 38for an autoby e Cwnty CCSiUhhe usea in Paounty burdlatsll mattere.

n&w this office your oplni

.. on the PolLdwing queatfon. : county FunBs. he 0888 of Couuty Comissloner privatsly~ohs autoLoblle in whichhe oonducts county busdness, is the Com,ieoionars~ Court g%rdttetI to purohaee tires, and tube8 for his oar charged to oounty funds, if SOout of what flld?

.*(B) Undei?wh;rhat authority of Article 1s Llbertv Countr. **Torso** mmittad to wrchaee QU-

. Driouldappractats your ~ivlrvg this ofPIca your ophlion on the,above quastioas 

### l2imGiatsly as weham a olalz to eat on.* Rangoountl@a of this Btats operate under apeair~l road laws, which laws provlda ganerallp for a riiore Catailed road 

### sy3tumin muchoountlea, **ana also**  **grovlae** for the payment of acoounts incurred by the oounty 

### OOZEttiseloner in the omratlcn of their ownDrivat.e autosbllos while eupervislcg the xsain.tenanoe & roadsln suoh aountloe. In aottjelaotancee these epeclal road lane proride for the purohaee 

### andgsymnt of verious kinaa 

## or equipmeat, lntfludtng pick-ups, eta.

In an o:lnlon of this Departmnt 

## aed Auguet 5, 1920, aoil pubtlst+at ~$9 114 OSthe RiotizlaZ Report for the years 1918-20, it nae hala by +&is Departmnt that aouoty oomlaaloners are not author&m& to purohase and payfor, goaoilne or other autor;,oblle su~pliea am3mbdt their olalm therefor to the ConMaalonors~ Court for **au** dit and allo%moe, ma 01ai.m for such supplies fumlshe8
**for w~oh**  **yurpcjr~s are**  **not legitb3te**  **ot:argers againet**  the oounty, whet.hor ao purchased and paid fom by the Co&ealouers or sold direct to the county by the dealer. ThlB opinion Oites the o&eas of mlpga vs. Gtawart .Sron Works, 8%Se W. $32; Rigby vs. mite, 108. W. 760; andIsarXlS Oountyva. Hcrc?mond, 203 s. X. 448. Wequota Promthe above ~en~ionea opinion as follow~t

‘1% 18axloaatlc that publlo funds aan be lawfully expended only for the purpoeeft, to the extent and In the rmumr prseoribad by Law,

**ana in**  t,heebsence **of a**  **statute authorizing**  **a** particular axpmditwre of pub110 funds, suah expenditure should be **etudicuslg avoiced:**  **and** that every officer ehoule fait!iPully eschew every transaot%on reopcat.ln~g public flll%~Oe that beere **even** tha aezblanoe of doubtful authority ought to go without aaylng.RonorebLe IL P. 

### Jennings, Fqe i?

Ve am of the opinion, therefore, and you 

### are 50advieod, thnt 

### it if3not proper **ror** a oounty comlsslocar to purchrrsa 6nUpayfor gasoline or other euto;lcbilo su;c>lle:; used by bin; in tho dlsc!m!r$w of hi5 official duties' md proscat hl& acaount for ammto the oos!- &ssiomr5~ court ror audit ard **payauant;** also, thnt ouch **60 account**  **iE** 

### not **a lagiti~%ts**  **charge** @fiainst the county whcthcr auoh supylios be purohzxsadand &aid for by the cautiasioner in 

## tfis**JiaCD&r ,stwa,**  or bo furniohcd and ohor~sd ;;r.;; county for that purpose by the dealers .n Webelleve the doctrine laid downin the **above** niontioned opinion to **be** sound, andwaapprove the sam a5 applicubls to your request.

12UrlfnCounty bus 8 population of 24,760 lnhabitants aocord:cc; to the last ixooeding E'edsral Gsn~us, 5nd GQOtianla of ArtlOle 2330~1,Vornon~s dnhotatod Civil. 

## stintutne Coals with the amountof aalery n ccmsinnionor is cmtitled to receive in oouclies containiuq a populatioh oi not less than 14,SGo amI not &ore thou 14,EOGiahabitante aooordirig to the last avallsbla Podsral Census, and eaoh available lrodcral Census ihweafter.

.

~The@miral low or the abova mntZoned 8eotion of Afctiols ESOn, oupra, E5kea no provISloks for the payrant of acaounts 

### or expenses incurred. by eozml8stonerCi while using their ownprivate autor;obllee In conmctloa With their business a8 CoI.intyoOr’i5alOners. Therefore, ym& first question is respectfully analrered In the nega- * Wenowconsider your aoaond question, anti your ;kyu;;lon iardlreated to Sectlon~ J., Act~s1933, 44th Lo&is-

, i;eoond CsLlad Session, page 1711, Chapter 443, ralatlng to aalarlss 0P oounty oo~:;iaeloners iti oartein countiee l Libnrtg County has a Fapulzitian of 24,309 inhsbitanta according to the last qrececl:ng Bedoral 05~8~5, andthe above rxmtioned Act provid.ee that in oounths hevice a population of not l.css than 24,200 and not riior5t.hna 24,600 lahobltnnto according t.3the l:.~t brccodln~ ~Z'edoref censu5) the aorxi&sisacrs~ ccwt ie authorized to alLot* eaah ootiasloner the SW of tmmty-five dollnrs perjlonth,

far traveling exgm5ota within the county while on otfioial bu6lnea6, .vtiy~loh

awnshall be peid out OFthe mad 

### and brid&e fundsdf tho resp3otive oor;lr5s&mer! s preolnat, 

### ‘and/ or t&e ganaral fund of the county not to erooed flPty par oent of mid ex.wnsas, andoath oomfwioaer ahsll matieUCLI dcr 06th on itoidzed Qcoount or his erp@nstPafar eaoh wonth. .Thare 18 nothing in thlo Aot which authorizoe Libwty County to puI?Ohaea 5~t0mbil~~ for thd OOunty OOi~.isd.One~. After a oaraful sesroh or the etntUtes, w are unable to find my special etaLute, or road lw whio!~aut.harizes Liberty county to purahaae atitoimbil&e tar me aaunty oorifsaioners or said oounty, to be used by the oounty comlsaionera in the aonbat 0f their 0rri09.

Tiaxsting that the foregoin& tully mwne~s your in

### gulrp, weare

APPROJYED

AUG 2, 1940

ATTORNEYGENERAL