OFFICEOFTHEA=ORNEY GENERALOFTEXAS 

AUSTIN 

373 

tang the oplnlon 

rein reada in 

tloned a~u~lly to eeoh 05 

peoinotr of taald County. That 

lved fwa dlroet ad valarea! teae lfQerw5, flnets 08 from My other 

aeurce fixed by Lou wning, into the ROM and Brid$e 

Fund of uid County ohaX be expended do provu3od 

for by Jav, u.id shall not be trwisferred u&n 

my clrcumstanCeI to 8ny othe fund, That oll 

mcneyr cow lntotheRoad8nd &id&e lund aP 

aaid County froze tiw sale ot bonds, or V(Lrr(Ultl, 

rhall rpeclri~allg be lallo#atsd iQ2 e dOfinite 

project prfor to the Wthoritatiw or 111aws 
-able X. 0. Ouvb~~ page P 

tbrb0r. lla5t~5ad5l.lmoruysaau5nJwd5ad 

h.re*rkr QaorLng into thb iwad and Bad&o Bund Of 

Ekxu Coi+nty, lncludlng those moaey8 rraoivbd from 

direat twtlon, or Irw anly 80uzob vhOt5ower, 

rhsll be axpwidvd for only thaw purpor58 to build 

uxluf.~tM.nRoads io&x~r Countyand 5ImrR55bl.5 

~ttbsRo5dmdBrldyrPund iP5whr5apvotit% preolMt, and rwh twds 5h8ll not k trawforrbd to w OthW f&U&d QP lWd5, OF to be wed 

for any othbr pwpo50.~ 

%lr Con5tltutlon, &rtlOk 3, aao. %, provibs, aawtg other thfrigs, 'Tha Il0;slatwe da&l 

no t, l xo5pt 55 othrvire prorld5d LLI thlr Corutltut1url, pass any loo81 OF l peoiil l&w 8Ut+orialngl 

regu&tiAg th8 affairs of OOUPhlN, ottia5, 

io;n;, vards or who01 diatrJotr.' 'Andinnll 

other oa8e8 uhbro a prural lav e4a be mndr apollo8ble no lam1 OL" rpbai81 l&v &a&l k ena&ed. 

"&tioIe 8, tiot~on 9, of ttn Cwstltutiw, 

vhioh pmvldw Sav tJw Xwyi4 of taxu for spwifibd ywposu, amag othbr thug51 

"'And the 34 ' 

lr 

mtarb 55~ pu5 z068i a~8 r0f 

tha aNntoAan0. thb publlo roads usl hf.ghuey8 

vlthout tha fowl notao. r5quimd for 5p5oUl or 

leaal &va.' 

%a43 supremb Gourt fn tha wsb of fit&t va. 

Qutselt, Pbprtbd :a 201 s. Y. Rcporkr, *t peg5 

an att 

“s11 

t H~Athb yWt Of thb &gUktilrb by 5 

5paGi51 v to Pogul4te tha arra.ra OS the eounfq 

obich WI vlthlfl the lnbibltlon of Seation 56, of 

Art1c1s 3 Of the CoI~utltutlon. 

*IA thb &85, Of AWtln i&08. V8a kttO&, COrlQlrrl0n of Appbb15r 288 s. Y. at pagb la& the BowtOA COWtg apbQid Rand &it, a5 t0 tha 5UpWVt8iOl% 
Of ZíOti r o d l~OZttOAWAt M d ~AditUXW Oi h & dS, 

us held Unoarutltutloml a5 a *peal51 I5v crgu&t;- 

lug tha arfl8ra of the county. 

“In vlou OP th8 above &tlalas &ad the ConatltutLOA 5~d t& holding Of t& IlU&?Waa cowt iA t&o 

aben 01t.d oaaaa you am r+qwated to rander sol: 

WUr OgiRiWU iOUh9tbUP @PAOtt& mt 

to Ssetien lf3 of Chclg. l37 of S. 8. lo. 573, Amtr 

oP the 42116 t~sbture, Regular Sessio~a, 15 opwaclve to prohibit the trambier of funds, omlrg into 

thoRoM.andBrLdga Fuad,to other fmda of the 

aeunty. or, 1 8 l wh so0t1on 18 luraatIlIt1tut1mal 

w&r the previ*iaD OP Artlola 3, kotfen %, OP 

t& 8tAtO (lOA#t%tUtiQA? 

* I 

. . . . 

Tha County Read &nd Brldy Fund propar 15 dar1r.d 

fro* oeliuty tu85, autollr0biJ.e regLrtmtiaJ% roea 5&i SlIMS 556 

rafatwe5. rnlp05ltlon of that pation 0r 6he county road 

&ml bridge fuad aonslatlng of aut~pbila rrgirtratlon fro5 f5 

& 

evermd by suticm 10 0r Article 657~. t~Fzmn'5 Aaaotat8d 

IV&l Matuk~r. The pertllrcmt provlaiew af said aeation reti 

as Iol&var 

* 

cr*t*o; th8 Resd and Bridge 

gmvsydJto &$ey the salary or’ aaqwrwtien ai my 

.er County Cwalaa%omr, but all emid 

w rum3 far the oonrtrwtlan 8iad matoaa.nw of latrrrl re5da ia w.mh amnty under tha 

8u~tv1514A of tb Gounty m&la5er, if t&or. be ome, 

&Id if #IWe i8 A0 WMh 6~1IAWE, then th8 hl4tJ 

Cor*LsaZonira' t%?urt awl1 have mehor1tg to mmMnd the aUrioe5 OS the DlVlaloa PJl@auer of the 

Stata il-rghvry Pqartwnt Pot tha purpose ai auperrtrlq the oonrtroGtlon and rwvo~~ny5 of lateral 

rmd.8 1~ tholr rerp5otlYe ccf2Atles. All fund8 5b 

lowted to tb5 aauntie b* thr ,ror1510~5 ot this 

Aat (Artiolw 6&75e-l to t 675a-f4j P. C. Art. 807~) 

My k used I‘M’ the COWtic iA the &ay#Mnt 0s Ob- 

~3&ntlOn8, Ur Uy, 05aucd end %.tWaFFsd tA t&5 QQDStrWtiOA Of 02 the LA&WOVeB%At Of &.I PoQba, $.Ao&ding State lii@*ryr of ruoh 5oUAti~s 4Ad &*trfot.5 

thersirrj or thr fxqnxwement OP the mad8 seaqpPiaia(r 

the County Aord srstem.' 
Tha 0~00 or stovoll 0. shllroro, Cl*. App., 7fr 8. u. 

(2d) 276, afflrnmd (Cola. App.) 103 3. U. (2d) 363, on page 

367 of the latter ~pinlon, oontaln8 the tollovbng rtatomotito 

with roapwt to tho above quoted nctionr 

“Ao to thot portion of l utonobtlo regiotratlon reta rotalnod by Vu Zandt Countyi Artlalo 

667%~10, Vemon*o Annotated Civil Watuteo, l rprtooly provltlto how saw stall bo t.rtge~ and 

r0r that rta.03 it lo obvious t&at AMiolo 6740 

ho 0 no q & lo Atlc b n to o a mo . l . l 

l Byatlolt 2342 OS the Roviotd btatutoo, it 

lo provided t&at tbo ooveral oOll;iooioaoro, twtbtr 

ulth the eouat JuQge, atall ooiqmot tho 'otmloofaAero oourt. T 8uah aoat is monlftotly a malt, 

ud fo the a@tnoy of the whole oounty. The roopoot1vt oltmborof the oa8a.oo:oAeroourt art 

thtptftrt primarily repweentatlVe8 oi tho vhok BOUOty, Urd AOt tbtrO4 rOp~OOtA~tivtO Of chtlr &WOptOtat pr00trrot8, m0 duty 0r ttb0 oaari80~0~r0 aourt 

lo to transact the buoincroo, protoot the lAirtot, 

and promote tho utlfut .er the oounty as a uhok. 

Among tho powro oonftrrod upon owh oourt by utieit 2x51 ut th0 ramlngt a0 p0mr to lay out 

aad rrtablloh, 0-e and dtooontlaut roads and h&hrays, the power to build br~ldgoo ud kttp Tom 1~ 

ropom, and the owo~ to exerolo* gonwal ecatrol 

over 411 roads, glgh VajlO, st#FrltO, urd brif@t0 iA 

their oountlao. They have the ovor to levy ~8 tax 

not to exceed 15 aento on the $ s 00 vrluation for 

rcmlo and brldgeo. Thlr fund is, of oourn, sor uio 

benrrit or all roads amI bridges or tbo aouaty. 

!r&ot provloimo of tho lau, 80 uoll as othoro rbict 

al&t be menticumed, olearly 042ntwpl8tt that the oammloalwtro oourt of owh oountf shall ro@ard tha roods 

a nd h ig h va yor o the ooulty 80 l system, to be k&d 

out, ohngti, repdrecl, lmprovtd, aad rrLatalne$, as 

tu 6o graatloal, 8o a UhoLo to tho best 2nttr~oto 

and Vtlrwo OS all the pcopk ai the cowtf. It 10 

oloarly oontomplettd that til mode arad brhwo of 

tho aounty shall be rpairatalned, ropolred, and iaprored vhen rmtoo~y, as the aanditlono omy rtqulrt, regardltoe or the prcalwr la vhioh tams may be lo&Wed, 

so far as the rundo rill equitably jwtiry.* 
As ior that portion or the Oottnt rod &d briaOr, 

fug& aowlotlng as oount; taxes, Art101e 6 + 40, veraon’o AnnotRttd Civil Btotutea, povlaeor 

‘Th6 0omioolaztero owt 8tall ate that t&m 

road end bridge lurid or their oowaty lo $adlalouo4andequltab4oqmnded ~~tltt~o88o~~~~ 

Of th6ti OOUAt~, ur d, l 0 AOa r 

ti 00O000itr 0r th0 ~040 wi pRlt, 1t ehll 

bt expanded iA eaoh OOUAty O~OOlOnerO mOiJ0Ot 

iA pP~tiOtt t0 th0 @RObtAt aollmkd iA l UOh POslD6t. WWty UO6d iA bulldinp &WROtttAt rorrdr 

ohA tirit be UHd odlp OA ilEO% CI@ #~0Ad-&Aea 

roads, ud OA theee vhloh Oh@= h4Vt the ri&ht Of 

my rtttw0hd rrtt 0r ao8t to ~08~ as otoalght a 

road u lo praotloablt md having the yeakot 

boaw orrOr0d bg the oltit6Ao or aOIwy, labor w 

otbtr pmperty. 

Thlo urtltle lma hen ometmed by the C~,olm 

0r App6ai0 0r th6 strt0 0r T~Mo. btwall v. & b ivms, l0pra. 

u0 quote theretrfm as r0uor0t 

"It ~111 bo oburved U&M tbt mtlole la Quert&w p~ovlbeo that Uao POM u& brlt¶gtt tund #hall 

be jrdlolouolymadeqult8blyexpen&d "tirade 

aRtI brag60 or t&t6 aotmty, atoa, u 

aoadition enfs Atotooity or the ro848 tl It--h 

ohdl be expended in eaoh oouatf ot3mleolofwre pre6iAOt iA ~OpWtlOtt to tht 8R@Wt Ml&d& %A 

DUO&t &UVJQbOt. It.t OUT eplnion, there lo obv%oua1y AOU ia thl0 UtiOh ohlob t-b th6 BOImieolomro ootwt to t%lvl&e the row3 m13 brl&e 

iurpd aoaordlng to wy fixed nthesatlokl formul8, 

Wd ~ppW6iOA OUO iA &but06 rOr tht pUEgMO Or 

bd.ttg 63tpdd in w gmt~ pt0ittttt. m6 tt06 or 

the word *expw&d* to our rInda am4 0Uggt~6.0 

ul8S6 a lr6 umQ0 sh a ll k l pportloned ccd p8ul out 

frcm tats to tfu u tho n6oeeoity rff 6boir uoe * 

rrloto in tht ordltamy uhltalotr8ttoa CU tht oouaty a r mir a . l . . 

*~o tultho tudiAg this, th6 0a tml00a eF 0 OQuPtl 

tottgt give errget to mid artlo& 6740 sxoept what 
378 

jioA~oblc E. G. abrvey, gsse 6 

the nectooltleo or the roodo &ad bridges rwpU.ro 

a dsparture lrolp it. That artiol6 rtquireo that 

the roed onb bfldgo rundo OS all oowtlto o&W1 

be judiolouoly and equitably eXg+nded, It turther 

roQulreo that owh ruadr &Ul, u ml as tho 

oondition aud nmoeootty or ttao roule u lli w-t, b e l x p endain d l wh 8cm.imoiOnt~O ptwlmt b pmE 

tlon to the mount oolleeted in ouab peolnot. 

dollittant purpooo oi this statute memo to be 

to requlro thot the rood ud bridge tund &all be 

l x p r ttiA dtuoh d 8~OOlontrO plwi.AOt lA grO= 

portlon to tho amount oolltttted therein. In this 

regard the statute memu tht l mhpreeinotoh&ll 

promo hole bo entitled to its an rota, an6 in 

the absence of any reaocmo toOw, oontrary tbmy 

should be so divided atwl qmdtd. Houtver, the 

duty to expend the funtIe in t&t6 proportion above 

moAtloAed lo AOt u3 Absolutely Wlosfble OELII* 

This 10 evutnt ha8 tht rut thtt tb tkaaant 

p”” 

pose o f the l tWtte 10 qucllifled to the uturt 

hat the oourt by ale8r mplla~tlon lo glve~ the 

right to expend tho road Md bridge fun& in & proportion other then In the proptartfon IA whleh they 

are oolleckd uhe~ tho owdltlotto or the &owls la 

the rtopeotlv6 preo~laoto orebteo a Aeoerolt 00 to 

do. We thhk, hwever, t&At the rewlsemon t to 

expend the fwl I.A the pro$ortloA mentioned OaAAot 

be *voided emept lo eaoeo or omdltlmo of Aeoeol ity. or 00~86,tho 0olp~i00i~0 fmurthu th8 

right to txeroioo its oouAd judgmnt ia det@rRittlag the Aeoeoolty, but It oamet aot mbltrarlly 

in regard to ouch Ratter.* 

It vlll be noted that Iiowa 8111 810. 510, l upr8, txprtooly provMt0 *that All mosey rrom my l ourae Whotsuever 

Ombg into the rood end brtdge fwd ai Racer County, other 

that those nontyo rtoelvod from dbeet ed valerem twation, 

8hll by tho ComlooioAero Court bo 8ppartlaolCL eqwlly to e(Ulh 

ot the Coamloolontro prtolncto oi said County.' SaiA Att also 

turther provides In tfreot that all wmeyo rootfvtd rraa dllreat 

ad v8lorem tw.at~oA, mwmobllo 116moe fees, tincam or fortoltuceo or w othtc sowat fixed by IA* a 

-3 

into tho road 

M bridge fund of oaid county shall bo eqmd as proviatd 

tor by law, and o&l1 not be trarurerred ut&r my airoumot*lureo 
jwxorable f. Q. Oarvoy, P*(Le 7 

to an 

I 

other rund. k the roe6 uid bridge fund lo a ooaotltutmtta ruttd St is our oplniott that undu the holding 0r the 

8 rem Court in the oaoe of Carroll 0. Wllllaao, 201 a. V. 

53 , the oorriaoionero~ oourt does AOt hvo any lo al authorfty to tranofor owuo trom the rcaae and brl&ge t 

ox 

UAS to auothor, rktttd, or to txpt for one purpose, tox mow rUoetl ootuulbly r0r another purpose. fa otbu *ado, Lt - 

us@ oourt aould Aot legally tranofer mosey tram t$?%% 

bridge fund to w Othtr fund notvlthatand&g the povlo~ono 

of Houoe Bill lo. 510, l upra. 

Relterrlzg to APtIole VIIX, 8tatloo 9 ti the Conotltuthn, it lo stated in tho mom of Auotln &others va Patton, 

a88s. Y.182: 

. It l uthorloea tho kgiolature to pa80 

low1 Go;d*lavo r0r a Ceotrtoted pur 

armenubot 0r th8 pubuo roads md 

shown above, ow bupemv Court hao he 

~&b, 'theurinte~~~~e otpublia rcnbl18' Inaide 

the &yin& out, opening, aW oonatmtotlon of Ned 

roado~. !Chtrtfore the authogty ootaftrrtd by the 

ooartltutlonal amtndmnt e~rleo vlth it tbo right 

to cegulatt the arfatrro 0r tho oouatf tay ia rueh 

reoptoto as are aeoeaoarlly and l ppr~lately oo* 

neoted with or inoNenta1 and l uboiWy to tbt 

objeat or ouoh limited pewor -- the malntenanee, 

l~oluttlag the layhag out, 0poIllry; and oomtrwtlua 

ol public roo40. It dOt0 AOt l UthOPi&t tht OUb - 

traetlon, by looal or l pe6lal laws, oi pvtro tra 

county aonlooloatro and the isomioolanero~ oours 

aWtrret3 by general lava. It does not 8uthorl.m 

a ohattge 19 the rlnauolal l yoten~ OS oouatleo rlxed 

by general lmo. It does Aot l uthoefle the Or ta - 

tt0n or 0rri000 ukd tht 0208hmg or th000 orricer 

uith fuuatlono already pwIormod b 

rlaaro as provide4 tar by &tatral Lo. 

oslotlng ot5oAt of 

these urn tneldentel oc neoeoo~y to the nlntenumo, lay@g out, owning, and oonotruction of reads. 

It merely authorloeo the l pplloatlon of the tlmclal oyoten ur4 the govtmoo&.al maohinery l lcaady 

existing to the aatlart authoplxed thereby. The 

rirumei optem an& tho goveraaexxtal maohlncr~ already oxloting us&r gwmral laws are ample ror all 
a wh l a t1 v*itiSef athe . saeadasint b ed b eeln a tended to nullify the alms0 of 8eotion !%i of ertlak 

3, preaarlblng that the kgl8lNdre 8hould not pa88 

any looal or 8gsoirl.l~ rejphtiaag the 8rf’atitrs 0s 

~otmtle8, it would have bee+8 simple nmttor to 

hata d&xlt&t,$tt the tl#a OS it8 8ubzai88loa, 

'aad pr0vlde for tb urn&emu& end OOntml &s?eef,* a8 n8 dofn ln the met&dma t l ~th0riri~ t.h0 hgi8btura to p0~id0 r0r thr 

formation of Wmol dlstriata by spoolal lam.* 

After OaPefully cotulderlq Xouae BilZ lo. 510, ruprs, 

it Is o ur o p inio n th a t uld Aa t a a nno t b e 8wt8lned l a 8p w 

@i&l ra8d &U under Aetlole VIII, 8eotlon 9 ol the Constitution 

b#Uuae none Of the polnrr Or restriotiona aonferred On t&8 

aadssl0ner8~ court are beMental or rmaer8uy to the muntenmae, l8* out, oproing, and oan8truotlon of roads. Xoul vw, o n the o thehr a id, the Aot 1 s 8n attempt to sub tr ut tr a 8 

the p o wer 8 o f the oOICII8aIone~8* a etwt p er td.nla tg o the l xpadltureancI8llw~tloaof tha roedawl bridge fund of tin 

oeunty aonferred by ipneml lam. 

It 1s our further opinltbn t&t Eouse BLU lo. 510, 

l up n, violate8 Ar tlo le XIX, Beotlon !jo6 i the Ceautitutlon, 

So&lddlng the repuktion of aounty &fair8 by loa8l a rpeolal 

. Therehre, ue are of the aplnlon that said hat 18 unfonm;~m~i~ and so hold. (Bee the -8es of Aumtia Ekotherr 

T 

C, W Uller V* Zl PUO Gountr, 1% a. Y. (2d) 

l&IO, aad'aut orltier alted thereb.) 

Your8 very truly