JIMMATTOX Attorney General



### suprrrrvr cowl BulldlnO P. 0.Box**1254S Aurtln.** **TX. 78711-254s**  **51214752501 Telex** **9101874+1357 Telecopier** **5121475as5**

**714 Jackson,** **Sulle 700**  **OalkS. TX.** **752024506 214174289u** 

**4S24 Alberta** **Ave.. sdte**  **Is0 El** **Paso. lx.**  **799052792 QlY53334s4** 

**,Wl rexas,** **SUllS 700**  **HOUslOn.**

**lx. 770023111**  **71Y223sSS**
SC6 Broadway.

Suite **312 Lubbock,** **TX. 79101-2479**  **SW7476230**

**43W N.** **Tenlh. !&It.**  **S McAlI.tl.** **lx. 7s501.1085**  **512mS24547**

**200 MIhl**  **Plaza. SUIM** **4m San** **AnIonlo. TX.** **792ow797 512l2254191**  

# TheAttorrwy General ofTexas
**September 3,**  **1985**

Eonorable JimYeen, ilocklcy County Att~miey Opinioo Ho. JI+350 Eiockley County Courtthouee P. 0. Box 11 Levellaud, Tuna '19336 Re: Whether a cmmnissloncrs court may expend county travel funds to **oppose** issueuce by **the** Alcoholic Beverage Comission of a private club permit Dear Mr.Weems: Too **aek** uhethcr

. ~Colmty comlseiouers court, after having duly 

### votedOILa notion To proteet the Issuance Of A Private Club License, for A private club to be located In the county wer vhich the said commissioners court presides, acting as a gwexniag body. mry expend county funds for travel and related expeuses, to go to Austin, Tueo, for the purpose 

### ofprotesting against **the** issuance of euch 

### privateclub license from the Alcoholic Beverage CoriW.iOU. Youadvice that tbc axpanses 8t issua are of county cr(s~~knmrs themelvar and county. 

### fortrevel and related costs selected **vitnerrea** 

### for the

The issuaaee of "private club registration permits" is gwerned by chapter 32 of t!heAlcoholic Beverege Code; vhich vas enacted ae.a nonsubstantive 

### retadificetioa ofpriorlev. **Acts** 1977. 65th Leg., ch. 194. at 391. 

### 558. Section 32.03 thereof 

### oetsout the qualifications for permits, and mction 32.04 describes epplicationr therefor. Under section 11.43. **tlm** Alcoholic Beverage Cosaission hs discretioosry authority to grant or issue such permite; however. the c&sslou is required by sec~.ion 11.41(e) to give due consideration to the ret-ndations OCverious officiels of the locality for which the license is **#ought.** Cf. V.A.P.C. arts. 666-11. 666-128 (repealed). - Section 11.41tie) further provides:

p. 1598.

honorable JimUaema - Page 2 (Jn-350)



### If **a protest**  agalnait the issuance 

### of a permit is made to the comi:e~~ion by any of these offleers and it is found 011ahearing or flndiog of facta 

### thet the isauancc~ 

### of tha permit would be iu conflict vith tbe 

### provisionsof this code, the commission or admjnistrator shall enter an order setting forth the ‘:sasona for refusal. Andsection 11.41(b) reads:

(b) In the granting or withholding of apermit to sell alcoholic lwverages at retail. the crrmnissioa or administrst~or may give consideration to a recoaaaendation x&a in vriting by **the** coavaissioners court of the county in which the applicant proposes to condwt his business 

### orby a representative of the coumission. Thus, personal appearances ar oral 

### testimonyat the hearing is not a prerequisite to consideration by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission of the official ~

views of the county coaaaissioners court. Of course, in-person sdvocacy may prove to be a more effective method of persuasion. The question of whether county funds mayhe properly expended to better advocate the county ’li position on such a question is not directly governed by the Alcoholic Beverage Code, but by the statutes and constitutional provisions appertaining to the powers of a **county** coaaaisaioners court. The Teas Constitution provides, in article V, section 

### 18(b):

The County Mraionero

. . . with the County Judge as preaidimg officer, shall cumpose the 

### CountyCommiasionere 

### Court,which shall exercise such powers and ‘iuriadiction over all county business, as la cou?erred by this Constitution end the laws of the 5tatei or aa msy be hereafter prescribed. (Eaphiw;ia added). Bowever~ the Alcoholic Bevera;ge Code (by requiring that the Alcoholic Beverage Comnission give couaideration to the positions of local officials) indirectly makes it clear that the matter of recomeanding liquor permits for ostablia%nwnts **In** a county may properly be considered “county business.” Although **the** legal baairr for **any** 

### actionby a county cmissioners court must be ultimately fonld in the constitution or the statutes. Canales v. Laughlin. 214 S.V.:!d 451. 453 (Tex. 1948). where aright is conferred or obligations impwed on the couuaissioners **court,** it has a

1). 

### 1599Rooorable JimUeew - Pya 3 (JIG350)

broad discretion to accompl.ish the purposes intended. Anderson v. wood. 1s2 s.u.2d 1084 (Tex. 1941). We**are** aware of eo 

### statute thet specifically l uthoriaes a 

### county to incur travel related axpeases for the purpose of opposing a proposed private club registxation pcnalt. Webellevc the provisioo authorizing the Alcoholic Beverage Commission to consider the views of county officers contemplatc,a au opportunity to present **such** views affectively. If the comiasioners court of Bockley County, in good faith, deems it to be lo the interest of the county to expend county travel funds **for** the purpom of presenting those views in persoo or through vitnessca, ve cancat say it is without power to do so. V.T.C.S. arts. 2350. 61s: 2351. subdlv. 15; 3912k. See Attorney General Opinion E-6gd (1976:‘

. & Pritchard a Abbott v.~enna. 356 S.W.2d 333 (Tax. 1961).
SUWMABP

If a county colsaissionera wurt deems 

### Itto he in the interest of the. county to do so, it nay expend **county** tr,svel funds for the purpose of opposing a* application for a private club registration 

### perdit pending before the Alcoholic Beverage Comnissic~r~. Very truly you 

# JLb

JIFI MATTOX Attorney General of Texas
TOMGREEN First Assistant Attorney Garters1 DAVIDR. RICBARDS Executive Assistant Attorney General ROBERT

GRAY Specisl Assistant Attorney General RICEGILPIN Chairman, Opinion **Camsittee** Prepared by Bruce Youngblood Assistant Attorney General

p. 1600L

Honorable JimWeema- PII* 4 (JIG350)

APPROVED: OPINION



### CONNITl’EE Rick Gilpill, Chairman Co1111Carl Sunna Gnrrirw TonyGulllory JimMoclllnngcr Jennifer Riggs Nnncy Suttoo Sarah Uoclk Bruce Youngblood

p. 1601