OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS **AUSTIN**

Hon. Y. 3. ooar 

### Countqnttornoy BlaaooCounty JohnronCity,Terer Desrsir:

Thiswill aoknowled

Y9u.r le8ter re

partmat 

### r0r

s ?aalntalned are per aa00 la raid tund, .OO bond, zad inax WOE voted 

### by the Ccunty **0r** 

### BlaAOO.

Vha departmat pacssd on this questioa f;~me am shown la your letter dated Feb. 6,

me cCUnty 

### cdII8iOAer OrmeOiAOtNO. 3 do& not think 

### thetyour.rullag ir corroot, 

### 440

### 441

Bo-. t. B. Gem, **Page 2**  **-**

as ha ha8 been advisedby prirete counsel that it ir nat Qorraot, 

### and that t&a Cmnty fhmlasioner's Court hae th8 ri@t to use a pert oi aaid nooef in Co.z&issioner's Pracinat tk~~k~;tee

for building end rYrintalaiag roeda

. *I an asndiq you herewith a copy ot the order of the CuztiasionernCourt on Nomzbar lath, 1934 in this matter, in wkioh. said &leation nna bald and notice

### thereor given tuhafbr the prmialone of soa. 9 Art. 0 

### or the Conatitutlonof the Stats o# Texas, and ortlale 6790, Chapter 4, Titlel16, Rvoiovd Statutea or 1923. VreoilictB'o.

three nom hae a grojeat proooodlag in road buildi.qi: by ?T. 3.~. crnd

it needs fromWAS7 to sssist in said iC?ojeot 

### iA boildinasaid road8 aad PaintafnlnGthem. The que8tionhe mi;;lta ecarered is:
*Can 

### the c~srio~erm court 

### 0r Euuwo legallyper&t the Cd6sionar OS Yreainot Ho. three to usb a part of ttiia zxm6~ in the blllding of said road8 In said prealnat by the U.P.4. Erojeot? Vhir,matter wa8 gamed on by i’h. Z. Fannbg and Srundy 'i;illianm, pour esaistantr, iormrly on Feb. 6, 1940. *AB pts 

### will @IO 

### rrtm the order dated Xov. 12, 1930 that the **purpose** of ttia tas wa8 Sor buildkg aad rPeitztaininC **t&e** publid roads of said 316~00 Cmnty, Texs?S, hence the Cmmissioner of mscinct Xo. t&so waztr to 

### ~ADW

if he wotald

be psmltttd t3 URN a psrt or said noaey in building and maintain

### iAs roedo 0r **said** prwaot x0. L5under the If. P. **A.** Projeot now in probpess in Bald Preoinat xo..Three."
On Feb. 6, 1940, In our optfiion Ho. O-1844, **iA**

### 442-

Hoq. V. B. Ooar, Page 3

t?nmer to the followin&pueationt

*Can the Conmissionsrs~ Court of Rlaaoo County'legally

loan $1500.00trm the Blanoo County SpecialRight-of-rayFund to Road Prsoinot No. 3P” it w ISheld that *the Cotxaiauloners' Court or Slanoo Coun ;yoannot lawfully loan the $1300.00 taken from the llanco

County SpecialRight-of-XapFund to Aoed Prea **sat X4.**  **3-.** titer aamfully reoonslderingt&o abov Iamtloned questionaad the taats as preuentod theer Iwith, we have oonoladedthat opinion Xo. O-1844 uorrtotlyanavmrs the sjmolfiaquestion stated above. Eoxe ret,in asZi% for a reoonsideration of this ogiA.oA a dlfietsntquestion

### 18 askad and additional ioctt are presented, which were not ooneidersd~in the OriC: .nd OpiAiOA.

As stated in rcur letter,w:&h is quoted above, there is about ~24OC.OO in the Blanc0 County Speoial Road Fund, w>lch is znaintainsd by a five cent tax per hundred dollarsper aMum. There 18 now about $lBOO.cO in sold fuad, after the payment of a $5OO.OO bond, **and** interest is paid. This tax wall toted by the 

### OitiZOAS

**0r** the entiro oounty 

### 0r BLaAoo.
The qusetionas now praasnted la **5s** hollows: *Can 

### the Comissloners Court of Blanoo logallypsmit the Caamiaaioner

### or m3ci3ot Ho. thrm to uss a prt OS this mnsy in the building of said roads in said precinctby the PI. 2. A. Projsot?* seotlon 9 or Artiolo 8 or the Stats Constitution **reads** as 

### r0110wst

me State tax 03 prctperty, exoluaireor the tar-neaessaryto pay the publia debt, and or t'%e taxes prorldded

Sor the bsasfit of the public **trS8** sohoofs,ahall never erceod thlrtyfive cants or&

the aA6 huAdrad dollar8valuation; and no county, city or town shall levymore

### 443

HOG. v. a. c-r, hi73 4

then tnenty-Sire

cents for alty or county pw’,5oses,



### a2a not exceeabg rirttte3 cants far roads and briQ?es, and not sxceedlq rift taen cents to pay Jurors, on the ona hundred dollnrsvaluotlon,**except** ror the ,?ayzmnt of debts incurredarlor to the ado9tIonof the awn&eat C8ptedttr23th 1283; and fm the erection of pub110 build&s, streets,3ewera, water works 

### and other 

### penauent Improvements, not to exoeoa txmty-rive cents on the one hundred dollarsoeluatlon, In any one year, end ercept 88 i8 In this Constitutionotherwise prorlded;and the Legislatureiunurp aleo autborIze an additional

annual ad valorentax to be levied and colloatedior the furthernalntenance 02 pub110 roads; provided, t&it o ?saJorlty or the 

### ~daziriea property tax-pagily: YOt8X-S of the caznty ootlng at an elsotlonto be held for thot purposeshall vote such tax, not to exceed rirteen cents 02: the one imndred dollars valuationof the property subject to tnxatlon in suah oountp. And the Le&lsZdturo may pas8 local la&s for the ~alntenanceor the SublIo roads and bI&ways, without the local ilotics required for a?ocIal **or** loesl lairs. **(Sea.** 9, **Art.** a, adoptedelection **lrorenber t,**  **1906;** 3roolanatf

on Ji3uary 7, 1907.)'
.%rtlale

6790,Vernon’s AnnatotedClrIl Statutes reads as 

### r0llms:

*The ooxif:~sios3rs aourt shall order 8n eleotio3upon presentationto it at any regular sessionor a petItIon sIgnedby two hundred ~u~iiriea voters and propertytax yapere or the county, or a 3etItIo3 of 

### arty person8 So qualfried 13 any politfaal subdivision or defined dlstrlot0r the oounty, requestingsaid court to order an eleatlon **to** deterninewhether eaid court shall lerp upon the propertywithin mid territory a roed tax not to exceed fifteen cents on the one hundred dollarsworth of groptrty, under the provIsIonsof the azzendmntor 1239 to the Constitution oi the State of Texas,

### 444

Eon. V. B. Ooar, f’a~o 5

ado#,ed in 1890. Snla aomt say aot on suah petition without notice;**end nay**  **zake an**  order ior szoh eleation, flxlng the amount to be.larled,not to exceed fiftaen cents on the one hundreddollars, the eleatlon to take place of any tine thereafter,not less than twenty nor zmre than nhety dcye irou the slate 0r making the order thorefor. Upon **a** petltioa a:gned by a uajority of tho qualified tax pay1zz.g

voters of any portion of any county or of any polltioalsubdirlslonor any aounty, to said aaurt req.wLting that such portion of oald comty or polltlcalsubdivisionshall be oreated as a derlneddlstrlot,the said court ahall declare 6uuh territorya defineddirtrlot aa apead the order ror same upon the tinuter or oaid court; provided the petitioa aroresala shall dericeby metes and bound8 the territory desired to be 80 incorporated la suoh def

’kied dIetrIot.* The orUer of the ooxznbaioner6~ court bearing date of ??ovexaber

12, 192Q, ordering an electian to be held for the purposeor 

### aetetiing whether or **not** a spealal road tax of five cents on the one hundred aollars worth of gropertp skouldbe lerlea upon all the property oi Blaneo County,Texan, subject to taxatloa, Sor the :-urpoee or buildingand maintainingthe publfo roads in said county was held under the provisions of Section 9, Artlole 9 or the Co1L8tIttltlOn 0r Terar end 4kticle 0790, end rehaa as roii0398: %?ECiAL EOAD TAX XXTICN, Borezaber 12, 1930 *On this, th.e

lEth day of November,A.D. 1930, this aourt be& 13 regular seasion, nith all zenbars thereofbeing present, uaae on to be consideredthe petition ,of ifape Smith and Two EUndred Berenty-thme ;273).&hers, reproperty tsz p@.ng voters of Bl63eo **County,** T~sis, praying that an elz+ation **be** held within and ror Blanoo County,TOXE.S, to doterninewhether or not a meclel roaa tax of Fin, Centa on the One Zundreb ($100.00) Doll&m worth of property siiall be leviedupon all the poperty or Blanoo

### 445

lion. V. B. Dear, Page 6

County, Taaa, aubjeat to taxation,for the purgoee of build- nnd zmlntainln$the publie mea l.ri said al8nco county, Texas.
“And It appearing to the acurt that said petition Is, signed by the requirednumber of property tax pafling voter8 or skia County1 

### It Is thereforeordered by the ocaart that an eleatloa be held wlthln and 

### for raid County,on the 6th day of December,A.D. 1950, whloh aak Is not lese than twenty,nor more than ninety days from tha date of said order to tleteaa&nh whether or 

### not d spsaialroad tax of Five aenta on the Om -ihndred($100.)Dollarsworth of property shall be leviedupon all the property of Slanao County, Texan, subjeat to taxation for the garposo of buildingand malntalnlng the pub118 roads In Blanco County,Texas. Said eleotion ehall be held and notice thereofp$ren under the provIa3na or sea. 9, Art. 8 or the Constitutionof the State of Texas, and Art. 6790 Otipter 4, Title 116, Revised Stat&em of 1925, and only gialiriedvoters who are property tax payers be allowed to vote at said eleetion.
*All voters deaIrIng to su3?ort the 3ropo6- Ition to levy said tax shtil have prrltten or printed on their ballots the words *For the Tax* and those opposed shall have written or printed on their ballota the word& .Againat the Tax.” Said eleotlon shall be held at the usual voting places in said Blanoo County,TaraS, and the regular atpointedand prment acting oftfoars or eleatlona shallhold said eleotion.
*The mannerof holding aala l leotlozt

ahall be governed by the laws goreming generaleleotlonr in this State*
*A copy of this order signed by the County Judge of Blanc0 County, Texas, shall sane al a prsper notioe to be pr.lbliahed ln a newsgap8r

### 44

lion. V. 8. Gear, Pa<* 7
published in said Blanco Comty, Te~ae, and ehall mua copier of eald notlce to be posted at thraa pub110places la said aounty, one of which ahellbe ot the oourthousedoor thereof.”
As above stated,the purpose of the election was to 

### determine

whether or 

### nota speolal road tax of flvr cents on tha one hundred dollar8worth of proparty shouldbe leviedupon all the Xoperty of Dlemao County,Texan, eubjeotto taxation for 

### thr purpoer of buildingend rnalntalniag the gublio road8 In Blanoo Comty, ond said eleotionresulted in the faror of levying eaid tax.

The paragraph in the above quoted section or the Cov&.itutlouprovidingfor tha levyingoi 8 tsx sot to exceed fifteen csnte on the one hundreddollar veluatlonof propertyrolat2lg ts tha nalntenence ot ;ubllc roads ~2s not a pert of the ori&nsl section; It moo added by ammd~e& in the yenr 1890 for the evident.

purpose oi oonferringupon ooimtiesthe po;ier to lay cut, construct owl malntnln better syetem at publlohi&weys than they wre able to do uudar the rortrictcdtaxationbefore protif.eQ for. It would be a narrow lnterDrstF.tlon to hold thctt

the people edoptlng this smenduent to the Cozstitutfon had in ?iew to provioe a fund to be used only in repairingroads already laid out, instead ot the evident and broader policy to oroate a better end core extensivesystem of sublichlghaaya. The gurposs of the Legislatureln naking the auenduentwtm to lnawaos the oapacity of the oounty to maintaina systen of ?ublioroads and the word Walstenancem must be held to include all the things neoeesnryto be done to accc#nplln$ the purpose. D;tUS CO’VNTY VS. PLG’iXAh,

01 2. 6. 222.
The above mentioned tax 16 lerlodby the Oouuty for the gsnsralpurpose of building and nalntaining the public roads of said aounty and is not rsstriated toanypsrticular road or portion of the oounty.

~:i’e a~-e ot the opinion that the tex money lstied and colleotcd for the g,:eneral purpose of building

### 44

lion. V. B. Oosr, Page 8

and maintaining the publla roads in aald oounty under the protialonaoi Section 9, Article 8 ot the Constltutlon and Utlole 6790, nay be exgs.Medby the oounty oomwlssioners* court for the urpo5.e OS buildingand mlnteinlng the pbllc roads In said oomty a8 said court my in ita discretiondetermine.

Thererore,you are respectfully advised that it la the oglnlonoi this de~artmnt that a part of the abovementionedmoney map be expended for the purpose of buildingand maintainingpublic roads in Preolnct Ro. 3 a8 the oomisslonera’ court may deternine.

It 1s to be e>eoliloally understoodthat vie are not passingupon the authorityof said oountp to pap bond8 and interest thereon out of the above nentioned fund. Trusting that the foregoing ful1.y answaro your lnqAry, we remain
Ywrcl very tmly

AX! :ob