Hon. Mitchell' Williams OpinionHo. S-99 County Attorney L*n County Re: Several questions '- Tahoka, Texas relatlhg to purchase bf fir& fightids equipmentby Lynn County.

Dear Mr. Williams:

In your request for an opinion of this offiai JOU WVe stated that 111 taxpaying irotetis of Lynn Counti,-Wh$oh' has ti populatiohol 11,,039, ha*eie‘pstItioned

ths~ho~iri~oiiers~ cburt to 

### ordek-an

eIbctioh~oathe.~~questlo~ 0r 

### thw **oougtt ’** **e** purchasing**fire** fighting **equIpme&.**

**~.** ~. The 'pititlob'do&

not d&its 'ir~th;;P.thi:C1)ctlddils solishtuhder'~~tlbIe.2351~;2'.oi. AStGl& '2351a-~-6?.V6Hioa1s. . . _ _ Civil-Stiittif&Ai,

but thb~rehbon~ble.iiss~~ptibn‘ii,bla"th~.iij~dlag 6f'.thd ~@etit16n'iihdath&~

c]scumstances'oZ

ltlj #i@&it~tiiWii- 

### .thaC'tIw

pet1tioner.s

am **a,dklng** tor.an sl8etion uri&=A&iol~ ?35la-1.
Atilolo 2351a-1 reabr 81 foilo&i

_~-,. _ .,_

._ _ - "~~Cb~I81li6n~~ Cburt ld~a~ll. boiuit$oK.ot thii-Statsi&ill bi **autlibriseil ‘**  **to fiiaLih**  **ilw** plrdti;ctioir..a~d-iifs~ilehtiirg'~qlli~~t to:the-,

-. ditt*i. .* .intihi-dom :reti*i. ~‘ ,.ii*sidi-'-t~-

*xtt 1iiPf;i iif-iirj; sit$;'tom;'6#-vi lage vithin t&s

."H~ .- Eouyty‘ aadta a~dJ13itiag

oon&tfhl

;i.'~ ~Tlia Coll)ia*"‘~-

- 8ioiierr

CoiiW'iMl I'

~JiaiaisJ‘:th&

-Siii$h&4*.'$&

'purohiiao flrb twcks a&l 6tWi;ar TS~b-t~lr;bt~'-'-~Quipnnt X@ _ ,. .._, .~ first 

### advortirlng

aniJ ridslii~@~'bt fibreoo, as

w&

. ,_. . .

_ providedby liv. +~'~*~ii~~~-a~-ot.-A~-- couhty' 

### of thlr to **enC&p l&o**  l. .

Hon. MLtchellWIlllNns, Page 2 (S-99)

tin me of the fire truoks and other S&e tight&g l

qulpimnt of the olty, tom, or tillam. It Is simclfloalli *ovided tlhat the a&s of,

iihy p&on or imrsonsvhlle'- fighting fires; travelingto ok' from iine,
or iti auf ma&nw fumlsbing flm *ota&bloo to the cltlzdns of a oounty 0mia6thb s** llmita~ofshy.

oLty,.tovn;

m rlllam, 

### .&all W'oonslderbd ab the aots of agmta 6t'tZY o-tiii~~ln

all'robpeots;

nottitbrtarding‘imUb prson' 02 personsmay be regular l *l'gwr

7: flnamn of a oltf, tom, ok village. Ho q-ty, tom ok vlllago rith'ln a count? and/or aajoinlngoountlos shall **be** hild liablifor t&-acts of any of ltb emplqyeervhllo engaged in frghtlng fires outside thb ‘Bitj limitb pnrsuant to a~~.oontraot tbarotofrmb enter6d lntotbbetween~the Comls~laae~s Cou# OS the oounty and t&'g~vemlngbodp.bf+b alty~tovn, W village. Provldidhovw@;' that any five bqulpinent ptik0haa0a W any

. Ooun~~bhall be dono'onlfby a majisltyVote of pi5pmty ovnlag taxpayam and qua1WiiM .: ,votaM of mioh ooauty;ht a oormtpilU9 eleot%om called for suoh pqore." ,

. .~. '_

.

Article 2351a-4 raadss

.,

.- *Pb' Camnl3sionePs Cowt of any oouh* la - thisbtak.lis herM#y~astlsoclced~to puWmu'i IBM- and bther’i3.m fighting. epulpmnt to k

vlt3tnit~the

corporate lL*lta of atqlrmolp&ateil Ei~~~OFtomj 'anaZtipXpent thw~ol'lm-lnir*, autlvwlLwa

to Issue l

ltbertiam ramentb ojp.'~' n@gtXablr bonds, bi both,; of th6 OOUlltf, arid to levyand ~olleot tisuriw~agalnst the oouhw -al fund in paymoat thereof; porlded, ho*Pivv,Wt any suoh vamantm owbonds miist Wie’ Wiii’atMIot- **@ed** 8y a majmitr oS the Qzalif2~~jzWpW%q

. ’ tiaxpllring

voters, vho had dulr 'ranZ16(id~ ‘tb)2ssaw f* taxation, voting at Be eWbtr(ih ’~WW calledfa that puppome by c$hD C&mXrrGWirr Coet, ruoh bond8 ahd var&an%s t6’bi” traclll8” aad ssah tax*6 to be letfod and. iso~lW%~,iir aooalrdanoe

Vitti the povlsfons~bf ‘Oha@tiB1,. Title 22, Revised Civil Stat&is oi‘2irbSi .'-a_ -' mlng tWlasuanoe of bo6da.m &XtiiL, and/oraounties in this Statoz and povlded t?e,Ron. MitchellWilliams, Page 3 (S-99)

itither, that ahid warrants ar~bondd~till"be isatied 6~19 in'



### S\i‘oh BIPbunt &amount8'a# HI1 ht all tlties~1;8ave Pemtilhlng

and unilrouiiQ&red suffiolenttaxbs foi. general fuhd ~pIJP@6#eritb~~ fully take oare of all current expenses

### thoseOf."



### ._ - Tou bade asked nine quebtlonarigardlng thb ao@- btrui&& and applloiltion of these statutes,whtoh we 

### #hall stat0 and disouas one by one.

_

-QUESTIOl'i

ONE. Is it mandatoryunder th& above- facts that the commlsslo&rs~~ oourt aall
an election?
Neither Article 2351a-1 nor Article 2351a-4 

### authorlz@r or'pr~vldesffn? the gresentatlon

of a pbtltlon t6the - commlbaloners~

court.' It follovs that any-petition presented to the court has no' legal standing,Bad the oourt'ienot requlred to order 

### an eleotlonby virtue of euoh a pe%it$en.

..QUXSTIOIi

TWO. Assiamlng that th* ctmmla~ si'one%sl

o'ourt'oalls

the 

### l leotlbn'~hbther'tbe~
are repuiPbd to OT not;wl.llthe general eleoti$m Jar0 apply?
Section 1 of the Texas $lection,Code 

### (Art. l.Ol,-' Vez%oii'S

Elootlon Code) 8e'clarea that the provl.alonb of tb Code shall apply to'all *l&otionsheld in this State'; exoipt
as othertise'~ovlded therein. Since' aelther~Artlo1~

2351-a-1, A-Ftlcle

2351ad', nor.t.h@

Eleotloa Code provides. Zor a'dlffereiat~~pooed~e,~the general elictlim laws till applito my any election oalled pursuant t.6 either of these tus statutesi

. QUESTIOI?

THREE. Aabumlng that the elehtlon is callbd'ahd

passed, does'the comii1issloh6tib" o&art$s%e &iithtiltj to leaue bonda In payment f.0~ the equipment?

. : ~~ : .~ ;.:..: : .I,.. QDESTIOR Form, Asskialng'that &b elb‘dtion is called;

and passed, doeb~tb cdjlmlbalotl~Ig ooui%have authority to lssue~'int~z%at 'b&&F 3' time warrants in payment iOr 'the bqrifikiiint

a , if 60, from what fund till they be papable!,

_ ,,_, -, --, Article 235la-4 speclfloal.1~ i?&io~lri~~

tli~~ibelidlial, of bbnda oi time varrante, or both,,'Iti.@@niht 6f i'%4"f&&htlng bqulposent

purchased for.

the'proteQtlbti

bP~t?btihii~+i@~~ P'mptY 0 _,..

In faot, the sole purpoaa bf'aii'6le6tlon oall’id ‘- tinder this article I.8

to vote oh‘th&~lsbliano~'oi btidd ol?'tliae 

### vamants. Howwe~, a oounty does not have authority to 

### ls8ueEon. Mltchdl wflllam8, Past 4 (S-99)

eith&‘%onds or tI.me warmats ln’

pa equi@ont ~plrrohatid, Uod;rr Artlole 0Z iipnihlug’ flro gi’otectloh to 

### Theso queat’oam 

### we ~%%&on V-1200 t l951), cable r&lo8 at lmgth. All Zip@~ fight%&)

### ~ulpbsat purohased‘under

eitlioii bf them statUei!



### muit k pailli

foa out bf tba 06nn%y88 geiural tind, uh@thm pald”oM of M?ront fads or through bonds and- 

### warrariCs irruM mant to Artlole 2351a-4. v-12000 Att'y &n. Opr. 6-4300 (f&,

QU8M?ICH Fti.6 ABeuml~ that Lynn @#unty logally pirrohac~s’ a ff truok, 

### would ft be ~$mrmlas~lblo

fm th. oommlmlone~s’ oo‘W% to l nter into B oontraotwith an’ lnobrporakd Olty within thr oohnty tb operate’ the tmok and.-toe fiiridsh

fee ptikotiba’tbPeYro8’to rural amaa in tba oount$ Mm8 them arq ho 0rgaaSzeil

volp;ntrer

ilm **departments** in t& 

### ruralareas?
The sipst mdoiwl* of hiptiole 2351a.9 oonmw th, 

### bommlssioners~ aburt the \sn”oad

aathoritfto potoGtlo!ito ruPa1 lnhabltantts of tha aouaty. rIQWug?i $ho : -bidil~aSOi#r8’~

ootrpt lb om **OS.**1lmltW j&irl.EdiobioQ; ‘@ha grBnt of h power **to** ttlw oomluslObom* **oourt** oapMH rdtl% Lt the .%apliaC~

aathorlt+ ‘to’

ixirrolrr

a bmad intended aa dl8oNtW@ 

### .toa+ air. A,PP~19 cir. App. 19

‘titus’

8.0 Hiot&r theose

implied,

pow8~s WW limit+ w SuPtbl, prbri,lotuof Artlole 2351irQ.’TIM ar‘codand tha la& WntenoW s8oo@ilei .tti,

. ‘autliOFiBy~

W the iroiautj

to pwollilse

mill nt but ~lirplt ,lt ‘: till, H... qulr&wnttrf* oompatltiveii- “T 

### lddlng and for”‘i?ikiX

IO6bNd~ ~The upmm’ authaplw of tbm’ ooimtj tb~

aontsU% WSh ‘CL tilty for t& tame

OS olty-OWbd oQul&8hit, ,Obn%aSdM.‘ti the third aent.@I10@, lm not,ln our opIalon;ii Uml%htWn 00 the amangemmatr 

### vbloha oour&ty may lawfullyl

nWBHon. Mitchell Williom5, Page 5 (s-99).

.

into ibr the operation of couhty'-owned rquI@mbnt. 'thest‘atute do@5 not prostirlbe' the mbthod or aginoy f&the op+ratlon‘

of county-own&d

equipment. It does nbt ro-" strict the county to operationthrough Its own &ploya~o. In Snollen V. Brazbrla Couhty, 224 S.W.2d 305~(Tax. Clv. App. 1949, error ref. n.r.c.),the commi8slohers' court of Brazorla County had contracted for thi op5rMilbn of a-county-owned

fire truck by the volunteerflri dapllrtment of an unlacoPporated town, and the cotirt rvldehtly found.,qothlng

objaotlonabla

in this arraqgoment. We think'%t.

would follow that the commlzslon~rsl court coiild al&o contraot wlth an Ihctiporatid city or town'fw.the operation-ofcount -ownad equipment. In Attorno~ QsnoralI5 OPliiloa

04326 (19'12)

it wa5 hold that tha. county could make a oontractwlth a oltj for the armlees of a utllltr
mn tom maintain oounty-ownad fire truokb. 'Slmllarl~,a cbuhtf~ could bontzlot

with a city for the bervioea bf neoozsarypersonnel to operatecounty-ownod'equlpment.

ii note l&t the o8iptLan of this ,hot

atatoz that It authorizescbuntliz tb provldb fire p&oatloh anifl rlzli, fightingequipment "eltharby the purbhasearid mklntonanoe by the county o? the nooozsaryequlpaont,or by 

### wowPinto obntraotswith the gbvernlngbody of xtiez; towna, w villages

. . . for the uao oi the fire fightinglqulpwntbf the city; towa, 

### or villago." We are ol the'~opinloti hat a~hasonablo~,ooncltruotlbh of this languhgoken not l aw
. tw authbrlzatlon

narrow& than the Intetiprstatlon thlcti we have given tha bbdr of the'act, PUrchase and malritirmnor" by thi county aoos'not foreclots operation by Cl.tf l mploy~os a5 tW obuntf“s agent& in furirishlug fire protection‘.

The. statute l

x$@issljr

makes.tbi persona irho operate elther altr or 'countfoqulpmint thi agents of the 'cotinty wh6n mnlshing fire' prdtictlonto~rtial'lnhabltants; even though thdf q sq be Pogul$kr'eroplojeia- of Uminldipality. ThirE Iz~tibthlng-'- in'thi'daptltin'or

the b&37 of thi a'ot'td 

### preventi

th& cotitj'r 66ntrtiotlng

iritii tho'aPt$fti the &irVliidis of' Its .omplb*os to-a&‘&rj~agontu

of tha oounty in obratlng county-ownad equ-ent - :

. ..: .I.

_.: _. In answer td'yd& fifth qtiabtion; lt'%s'o&. - oplalon that the couatjmay contractwlth a city Snc tM operationof county-ownedfIra trucks by emplOy'& of the cltj for the purpose of iurnlrhlng rural f-8 &&.eotion underArticle 2351a-1.

QUESTION SIX. 'Assumingthat Lynn County has'logallg purchased a fire trucks in accordaaci with law, does the commissioners1 court have authority to l ntor into a contract with
an incorporatedolty In the county whereby the. . .

Bon. Mitchatlf

Wb'illfama,

Page 6 (S-99)

cltf Is :toop&ate'avld malntafn.tbe

ocgufyor@nt A tii o? abet to thi isounty and fW1Bfbhrrppar fipi potectlon therewith-in okchange ?CIP

the . i. oltyQs Pigbt to use the irqulmnt tithln the limfts 0r the lnoolsporatrd oi%yT

The coimzlsaloner5s OOUP% li gfrou air%horl%y to at+act tith the oit7 for the ~80 of the fwa raghtuq~~ .~ equlpmehtof the oiw "upon auoh terms aad‘souU9Wolra a#,'~ shallb& a@?eed upon." The oontraotrooh%emplatlld'in thle
and tE Bent*

. . ape to be with oltleb wblbh have ?I- .d#prUPC1Un%r

selves owu and'operatrffPe fightlageQtilpsi;~V., Cfearlg the coutraotoould ppovlde fog a mone%aaypaldllwt by'the bounty.'Attoy C&n. Op, 04160 (19#).Tt 1s -a that the oountr cbuld albo contractlflth a'ol$J fos %M rorvlcob of city employee8to oporate~oithez clq oP

. coimty l

qulprwht and oould pay the alw fos? theab sirvloee~~ Iiwtead of mooita%y payments forkuse b‘i tint 0~'

fop the 5ePvlPiais of ltb would7zeprw for the: oount$ to tb'altr to be permissiontD the"~elty ti9 W.~tha ooiinty-owiiid equipsantulthln fta'ooPpqPat@ lIi<$~:Xt ' ljillst bb tC5ik1w&that fn'-'makiag th9 oon%wabttb pErt$ir - tlould'adjubt~-thi

tiezms

50 that‘tM oo*&a*atPon wouU--k ?&lr &ixd

.+sohabla to both'paptl&a. 'pls) oxtea% o?~t:b i&WpermFt%ed vlthlii th# ompo&ate Urnits oi &J$o alt$ iihould b;, ~oomeixwate with thB value of%h& arv$o&m whloh'tb olty and .ltr



## l mplopeeewould pfnder %o the county.

T

..

oouiity ua*hoiae!@s~

~~zind o%h@pP -0mity -@Pop&q-'

~- ldd&t&d.~ldthe

co&%$ bUt.wItbdu%tli@.tioPPpi9a%e li-titcr~~&?'hny

-linisapbPataod-~i%y'~~%~OW, @hn the-W@ tiiiiskJ&.'Qri9d h.Tbo %o~fiiiah-ffiaO ~of;dCtlod'to'the"oI%fzoeli'd?'tge oBunt~‘xW +gdIng o~$%tiSUCthe sI%y ltiltr of any BftpO %$wn or vlllamo3
cilJmFx6oaB

ljmm. Xf Qtm!3taoa. seven lo anuwbi=ed

in tW~af?l~tivc, Bask tliaagall51in1er5~~cow% an%er %A%0 aoaizaip%e aa apolfled la e%%h@F Qfmt%o~ P&a 080 Qwe%loa Six. or.bo%hV
Aatlcle 935la-1 requ%Oape ~%:Bat~pur&.aeB

of fllW?l& Ing eqiaigaihtlq

a e6tinty

faa &I$0

p&o%egb%fon.of'*~sitO1f dud rural propertyb@ au%hopleodby an eleet:%oo 0% %h4 proportt. . . ,.:

Bon. Mltxho~1Yflliams, Page 7 (s-99)

taxpayingvbters of the county. An election iwthorliilhg tha~irruabooof bondr' or time warrants'

for tbi pvroha'mo of oqulpment for protecting ooimtf-owned propertyunder Aptlole 2351~1-4

yould no% disp&nse iittithenebessity ior
an iloetion under A~tlole~2351a~l before the 'oounty

coUld undePtalcr

to prooidb‘theeQuiplarnt ?or turntiahlng

tire If only an lleotionutBYer has beon held, the county would hbt~ have autM&y to purohaso mori equipmentthan is moeeea 1 td potect oounty-owhed pro&&j and vould hot be authcm s&l 

## .to u&e the l

qulmnt for furnishingppoteotionto wivak mopew e
However; a aounty which has purohaaed f%re htlog equipmentuhdir Artlole 2351ad could cbntraot~~?or 3 ha operi3tlon

of the equipment by a bltf for the purptiso bf grotecttng'the

oduntJ-bvned

popertj and oould wmlt the city to utie.the

l qlrlmnt Wlthlh its 1lmlta"to~the l xWntr of the value'

of the services thi city Was renderlngtb -~ oounty, inbtead of making a money paymeht i@ th+ INWI~O~. Ftwthomom, a couuty which has'purohased l qtaipeiaht

undn Article 2351a-4 would not be precluded l%om contpaotihg y frith a‘clty under Article 2351a-1 for ixae of olty-owned l qulplrent

in p+?ovlding

real fire potection geneTally.
QUESTIOM NII@. If QuastfonFouVlh " ansirered

ltithe aiflrmatlveas to the isau8000' o~lnt*r&st-be&lng tl& warranta,may bonds w Issued to roiund the warrants uudes tha provlalvnm of'AxM.cle2368a, \*.6.!8."1

. Ih answer to QuestloLBow we haw".&ieod'fou that time varPBntii may bo lestiea

only %m %a psarrohaee bf equl~t to.

#Citeat county-owd'wopei%y u~W~As%%o10' 235laa. 'Tli8

i@rrahta, ff'legallyibsrnod, may k sWuMed into bpnds urid@ tb provlrlona of Soetfon 70 mabd. (d), of Article 2368a. . .

The soimiaslone~m~ 00\1pot is not poqul&ad to call ah l

leotlon oh the pwohaae 0rP fi.80 fightingequipment when it haa been petltioned to do 80,~

as tin petltlonsnre unauthorized 

### and have no legal'

atandlhg. Anate.

2351a-1, 2351a-4, v-0OS 0 Thr gerural ileotlon favs apply to l leot%oasoallod mn:?oE either of thee@ r~atutes.

mo oom~~~locu~pu~ court may ~0utrPaot with an Iuaoppwated city wltbfn t&m ecuBy to OpePate., .

county-ownedf’lre fightingeqclpoent ior furmishlngfire protectionto rural. area8 .: ih the county, and as consideration for Its soivPces the city may be permlktedto usi the equipment tithin Its tiopporate Zimltb’ to the extent of the value of the aervliaez.

The County may not fuztliish ffre prtiteotla tb privately owned’ rural p6w&y with equipPIent pur’chased

unair Article 2351a-4,whi‘oh authorizespurchase of equfpmentfor ppoteotlon of oounty-owned

property only.

Yows very truly,

APPROVRDP JORN EIEN SRRPPRRD. Attorney @enoral

Rob.& S’.

,TNttl First Assistant

. John Bin Sheppeti AttorneyGeWal 

# Ry%pfw’

MW K: Wall Assirtant