OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Hon. W. J. lkConnel1, PreaGdent 

Htwth Texas State Teachers College 

Denton, Texas 

Ds#lr sirs opinion no. O-6932 

TNa is In 

of lOovember 9, 1945 w 

State of Texa 

relative to t 

Nw-mal Colleg 

Teacherr Colle 

2 

opkaiom IS Feepectfully re0 tbs follovlag questioner 

8 the city or Denton leg8lly 

for the use of said school an 

of pure artesian vat-or tree of 

cost to the State for all purposee of said 

school? 

"2. May North Texas State Teacher8 

College leg*lly tompeneate the City of Danton 

for vster used by the inetitutlonP 

"3. Hap lorth Texa8 State Teachers 

College legally compensate the City ot Denton 

for water supplied to an extra-mural or akulllary 
Hon. W. J. McConnell - Page 2 

entergri se, such as a self-supporting dormltory9 

The Act of the Legislature authorizing the establlahment of Rorth Texea State Rormal College 18 found in @enera 

Laws of Texas, Acts 26th Legislature, Regular Session, 1899, 

page 7%. and read8 in part as fallove: 

"An Act to prorIde for the ertabll8hment, 

maintenanoe and government of 4 State Aormal 

School to be located at Danton, T8xa8, and be 

known a8 the Xorth Texa8 State Ram1 College. 

"Qectlon 1. 'Be it enacted by the Leglslature of the St&e of Texarr That there eball 

be establiehed at the college heretofore known 

as the Horth Texas State Iformal College at 

Denton, in the County otDenton,Texaa, anormal 

echo01 to be known a8 the lorthTexr8 State 

Nom College; provoided, that ths cltlxens end 

munlalpal authorities of raid city of Denton 

shall, vltNn elxty daya after thle @crt take8 

effect, convey or cau88 to be conveyed to the 

State of Texan, by A good and perfect title, the 

buildiag8, ground8 and other property belong- to 

or unsd by the eaid North Texan Normal College, 

end bind the city of Denton to furnlrh for th8 use 

of said school an Abundant rupply of pure arteelan 

water free of coet to the St&e, for all the purpore8 of arid lchool, uNoh raZd oonveyuice and 

obligation shall be approved by the Oovemor 

and Attorney QeneFal; provided, that 8ald college 

building, when tezulered and accepted, 8hall b8 

8ufflaient to aoocmmodath at leant four hundred 

puplls; end provided further, that if the donation 

and proposition asntloned hsreln 18 not fully 

oomplled vith by the city of Denton to the satlsSactlon of the Oovernor, Comptroller and Superintsndent of Public Instruction, then the loo&ion 

of 8uch nowal college shall be open to such other 

place a8 the Qovarnor, Comptroller axid Superlntendent of Publla Instruation may deem most tartilrfactory ad advantageous to the State. 

" 

. . . 

"Approved March 31, 1899 - Take8 effect 90 days 

after adjournment." 
HOn. w. J. bk~011Ik811 - Page 3 

After the above Act we48 

the City of Denton on October 10, E 

assed by the Leglsl8ture, 

1 99, by proper action of 

it8 gOVOrd.?&g body, &Ba88Od A IWiSOlUtiOn Mading in part as 

fO11OW8Z 

“URSREAS, by virtue of an Aat of the 26th 

Leglelature, being Chpter 53, LAW 1899, the 

StAt8 of Texer proposer to establish at the 

College heretofore Lnovn as the lorth Tevs 

State Xormal College, at Denton, In the County 

of Denton, Tex88, a normal echo01 to be known A(I 

the Iiorth Terns State Rormel College; provkded 

that the cltlreae and nunlclpal mthorltloo of 

salei City of Denton ehall, wlthln elxty daye 

titer the kkiag effeet of said Act, aonvey or 

MWO to be conveyed to the State of Texm, by 

good and porfeut title, the buildings, ground8, 

and other property belmglng to or used by the 

s&Id Llorth Texar 10ormal College, aad bind the 

City of Deaton to furnish for the use of Bald 

nehool an l bundnnt supply of artealan water free 

of cost to the State for all the purpose8 of aald 

Bchool; . . .I 

Bubreqwnt thereto the Mayor of De&on, Mr. 0. P. Poe, 

properly executed ma l.mtmment, parts of vhlah am quoted belov, 

la keeping with instructions and authority given hir by the City 

Council, in oonjunotlw vith the Act of the 26th Legislature above 

m6ntloaedr 

"YHEREAB,by !‘WOlUtiOA pawed by the City 

Council of the City of Denton on the 10th day 

of October, 1899, the Mayor of mid olty vaa 

authorized and instructed for and in behalf of 

aaid alty to exeoute aMi enter into an obllgatlcm in writing, binding tb City of Denton to 

furnish rorthe we of the HOOICTHTEXAS STATE 

IORMAL COLIJzog an abundant supply of pure artealen vater free 0Z coat to tbs State aaaorbing 

to the term of an act of the 26th teglslature 

being Chapter 53, uws 1899. 
Har. W. J. JkConnell - Page 4 

"XOW THEREFORE I, 0. P. Poe, Mayor of 

the City ofBenton by virtue of seld -8olution 

end In consideration of the estAbli8kh4nt at 

Denton of the RORTH TEXAS Sl'ATE RORMAL COLLEC+R 

se provided In 8eld act Above referred to, acting 

for 8ncl in behalf of 8ald City do hereby oovanent 

mad agree and bind the eald City of Dentcur to 

furnlrh.for the use of 4aI.d lorth Tour State 

loma Sahool an abundant 4upply of purs atiealan 

vcrter free of cost to the State of Texas for all 

the purposea of eald ruhool." 

Ths queetlon befor u4 le whether or not thers wea 

ever e logal aad bWl.lng contract ln exlstenee a8 A reoult of the 

above rctr and if so, is the City of Xknton bound at tNa tW4 

to fundah vater free of coat to ths College. An exhaustlva 

eeareh of the authorltlsrr has bean made by thir depertrmnt end 

although we have not found a QADO deoided by ow Supreme Court 

dlreetly In point, ve believe the following holdings in which 

4lmllar quo&lone were up fop ~on8lderrtion eupport 0~ contention thet the contract wa8 In all respect4 legal and binding 

upon the city. 

In 30 Tex. Jurlr., p. 115, paragraph 56 ve find the 

follovlng 16n@ager 

'A municipal oorporatlon cannot, by contrrot 

or otherwise, tmrrendec, delegate, or barter ova2 

Its novernmental or leltlalatlve funttion or power8 

vhoae uae8 and continued evailabllitr an srsentlal 

to the public gocsl# nor an it legally enter into 

any contract vNoh will emberrae4, pmvent, aontrol 

or tnterfere with Its future 4XOrCleO of 8uch pavers. 

A statute wNah atteapts to give it authorfty 80 to 

do violates the conetltutlonal lnhlbltlon ogsinst 

irrevocable or uncontrolleble grentr of ape&al 

privilege6 or lmmunltlb4.A (See Bower6 v. City of 

Tsylor, 24 3. U. (26) 816, holding that R. 9. 1925 

Articles 1.018-1020, violate Conat. Art. 1, paragraph 

17, ln 43 fer a8 they pemrlt 8 city to close and 

vest conclusive control of a atreet in a railroad 

company for 15 years. 
Hon. W. J. McConnell - Page 5 

Article 1, Section 17 of our Constitution reads as 

follovs: 

“lo person’8 property shall be taken, damaged 

or destroyed for or applied to public use vlthout 

adequate ccu~ensatlon being made, unless by the 

conGent of s&h peracm; and, vhsn taken except for 

the use of the State, ouch coamnsatlon shall be 

first made. or secured by a deDo#lt of moneys and 

no Irrevocable or uncontrollable grant of swcial 

prlvlleaes end lmunlties shall be made: but all 

privllenea and fmnoNser wanted bv the Lekislatur 

or cmated under its authority shall be subject to 

the control thereof." (Underscoring ourr) 

In Foster et al V. City of Waco, et al, our Supreme 

Court, 255 S. If. 1104, held: 

"It is a general and undlnputed propollltlon 

of lav that a municipal corporation possesses and 

can exercise the- followLag povertv, and no others: 

reasonable, I 

existence of 

iubltantlsl doubt eonaernlng the 

power 1s resolved by the court8 against 

the corooratlon. and the Dover 1s denied. Of everY 

- . 

d ,D 

oldent 

Fir&,. those nranted In exureatl v&dr; sewn 

those necersarlly or fairly ImDlled in or in 

to the novera exweaslp granted1 tNrd. those 

essential to the accomllstnent of the declared 

arrecta and Durposee of the oorvoratlon --not 

alm~ly aonvenient. but lndlrrwnuable. Any --*- Icur, 

munlclpal corporation the charter or statute bz 

vNoh it la created is its ormuaic act. Relther 

-the corporation nor its officers can do MY sot, 

or make any oontrect. or incur any liabll 

authorized thereby, or by some 1enislMive act 

applicable thereto. All acta bev@nd the acorm 

litr. snot 

3f 

the povere g1 Tanted am void." (ii;laeracoring- ours) 

In City of Co un Chrlstl v. Central Wharf. II: Whae. 

co., et al, C. C. A. 189;, 'p 27 5. H. 803, the following language 

la found: 

"At moat their action was in excens of the 

povers conferred. The restrictions upon the powers 

of a city government am imposed by law for the 

protection of the inhabitants of the city and the 

general public. By proper proceedings, taken by 

the right parties in due time, all such trans- 
mm. W.J. McComoll - l'we 6 

gre8alaPaa of povclr 8ay be prolgtly remedied. 

Ab O, l U BOVOM V. CitJ Of I! 

vhem it v80 bid that Artlales Y

iOr, Ot il, 24 S.U. 

018 to 1020, It. 8. 

trollable graatlr OS apeala gri%il~em or ~tlu. (C-at. 

Art. I, sea. l?).‘ 

In the a&e o? city of BPonbu 1. BPuhmm Water 

Cw, 4 a. Ii. 143, suprne cwPt or Tuu, helcung: ‘A 

city ordlno~ce grated to l water eompaay the right md 

privlle~e for thm tern OS 25 yean from tha doptlaa a? thlr 

0~4iunoe or suppl- tin city of B., ud tku %nbbltaatr 

Unroof, vlth vrko for dowmtia and 0th~ QuxQQ~~#. ud SOP 

tlm o%tin@mnt Of tin. . . . . ?weP g lna to l munlolpal 

eorporatlem to contrurt la relatfcm to a givul. wbjeet mattop 

doer not awry, by lmplteatlar, the power to aontrwt, even 

vlth refecllrroe to that, so l @ to e mburum and late&en with 

it8 future aantrel orer the matter, u the publlo inkrut 

My PequlPe." 

Imtuutltmel al a. 1. Fty. co. v. &ldePaoA aoumty, 

rtel,l74 S.U. ~~,lmld~mlatum eouldgu~ valid lav 

requiring oocporatiom to vhau it had ir8\ud ehbrfsr to Loop 

Offlaes in cert8i.n lodlit~ lndsiynitsly. 

In 149 9. w. 

1. I. 

Beltlen v* city OS nlqma ?al.8, 

SupPew Co 

In City of Tea@m v. Sheffield, 26 5. V. (2) 417, 

Judge Oallagher of Court of Civil Appeals quoted ONet Sumtice 

haor 61 follmfst ‘A mwlaiprl corporation has no paver $0 

cede way or embarraw the exereire of it8 Joale- 
Hon. Vi. J. 'icConn~sll -Fsga 7 

9ii-a P 

ertorwnoe af it8 public dutle8 or from coAtrolllAg 

uture a4 iti may deex best its rrunlclpal 

effeirar, an3 when E contrliot is .mde by ouoh corporetion whiah is ngt warrated by the statutory cluthorfte 

oonferred won it. tCe Kovernin& body of such city has 

et ell time tha right to deolere It void and to refure 

OOmPlhno@ thsrsrlth.w (:fndersoorlAg ours) 

IA Earklne v. Orlando, 51 F. (ad) 901, it ~88 rtated: 

"In ab8enee of atetut., au~loipal oontrsat 8u1 be 

for l re88oneble time only 8~8~ in the exerolae of 

proprletory runotf0na.~ (Underrooring ours) 

Uo;juillin Hunloipal Corporstlon8, Vol. 3, 840. 1355, 

page 1279i reoit.08: 

*If there 18 A4 suoh PmViSiOA (08 to number OS 

yearr), the r4oroAablenne8r of the tine is prsrent84 

for derl8ion; and eontraotrr tar 50 yeam, 30 ~emrm, 

25 ye8r8 and like perlad have been held vilid. go 

where 4 oity ~68 authorbed to oontr8et for a wetor 

rupply without 1ImItetloxm a8 to term, 8 pr~virlon to 

pay a oertaln 8um ye8rly for 20 yoam for rator supplied 

to hydmmtr of the olty, thereafter the water ror 88id 

hHr8nts to b e l umlled rr88 of oharae: wea held to be 

within the Dauer of the altr and bindins 011 

Belt 

th 0 somDuq. 

ort v. Relfort, W8ter Co., 98 Atl. 736.* (Under~oorlng 

ours) 

We are mindful of the faot that the o8se8 cite5 

herelnabovr all are b8red on coAtraot8 whleh Qhe oltler had 

nude or attempted to make with individuals or aorporation8 

end AOW oonorm4d eontraotual rel8tionr rlth the State. We 

think the law to be well settled on the que8tIoA of the @wer 

or a city government eetlng in ltn proprlstory oaprelty, to 

enter into oontrsots th8 performme of which would extend 

well beyond the tenure of offloe of thoee olty oflialalr 

8wvlng at the time of the *ward. In Cltr of CroebyteA v. TexarNew ~exloo Utllitles Co.,157 S.:v.(2)W8, the Court of Civil 

Lppeelm h4Sd!(Reh.DeA.) "A oity may l xeralse it8 proprletory or 

busln4ss funotiona,aa by enter&g into contractforprlvate intareate 
634 

0r itg inhabitanta or ltsalf. ln sama way and to rams oxtout 

‘s ln4lvlduals or prlrr te oorpore t ions. n 

?!e think the oontraot undrr oonslderation in this 

opinlon is olearlp one involvlngproprletory sots oi the olty. 

in addition to the lmpllea wtborltg the olty would have to 

ator into 8uoh II oontrsot by virtue of its ohsrtsr, the 

~gi8iaturr, the tory orestor or the cltp 0r Danton mad rrom 

whloh body 8ala oltg d8rlY88 all its authority, roowsea 

ad furthers extamlob thr sutbwlty of bho oity to 80 sot 

' when lt pas8.d the Bill rutfqritlng the l 8tabll8hmont et 

lor$h Texas Stabe Woraal Colligo oonb~enb upon the l xeoublon 

.or ww l g r wnmt aa harelnabore quato& (Sac El Paw v. Conklin 

&S. w. 989) 

16 18. the oonslasre4 oplnlon of this dopartaont 

that the City of Daaboa w&s aotlnu within its authority at 

th8 tlme the -88aant wa8 made; thst tho oontraot wa8 valid, 

that it 18 0r a oontinuincr nature unb ~80 long a8 the mate 0r 

Texas aaintala8 uyl op8rabb8 t&o Tmoher8 Collage at its 

proront 1008tion, Me City or Denton 18 loq8lly b0uud tro 

rurnlsh watsr to bhr C01Lege ifes or oo8t. 

It iollowr, thoreroro, thit we must*$,%rr oegatlro 

uswar to both your 8aoonU uib third qw8tiooS. Vi8 tU* 

it we8 within the roamonable akxtlolpatlon of ~the Cltf tbat 

abb$tion# Would bo~uae $0 the OOlhg8 88 it y8w bha’ougb thhs 

ymr8, uul bhe “oxt.tn-aUml or 8uxlllry witsrprlro, woh a8 

a 8olLt-8upporblng dcmalboryw~ ir orrbslnly 8 produst oi 

nolmml oolle~s *xpErlsl*. 

very truly your* 

*TRUDY GEUERAL OF TI?JAs B. Y. De3surfn 

A88irbant 

.