’

OFFICE OFTHEATTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS AUSTIN

r.. County Auditor in. Herr18 County ,.t',:r~ %ueton. Texar

Se ham pour let "OnSepteaibar an exeoutlre orbar, floe of Ztzo~aboy Man ated the Of

### 6aotualoreafioa 

### 9an 

### ada\lniaOffloo of 

### Clrilian l4 theOo~smorm o? 

### the or8 or Cuor4lmtora of n their 8ereral iStates.

of the legal si$hts and resgona~partsfniag to meh pasltlom.* 'Ihe quote4 language le taken from the far% of aommi~slon IssueU by the Governor. %Q far lI I am infommd, the Gaveraor has not isau~d rpooiric proclamations or other lnstruotfons authorizLng or 4lreobing the Tarlous mordinators appointed in Xarria County to adoptHonorablr B. L. I%*hburn, cage e

the plan for olrillan **4afenae** whloh hea bomn pleoe4 In effoot by a tentative an4 aomwhat :
. looao agmement amongthe aeveral Coordinators appointed In Barr18 County. The CountyJudge an4 the Kayur of tha City of Houston, as the appointed Coordinator8 of the two largeat gorern**mental** units fn Harria County, have entern4 into an egmementwith the &a~ors of the other munlclpelitlea, by whiah Colonel TkeAahburn wla appoint& Dlreotor of Clrlllan Lmfenaewith general authority to aoordinate such defense aotivltles In Earrla County. AaI understand the present arrangesent, each of tha muniolpalltlea lnvolre4, wlth the exception of the County of Harris an4 the City of Houston, propoaea to diraotall of It@ OnB **ex~emditures deter**  **mined** by It to be neosacarp in oonueotioa wltb ths defense aetivftiea. It ia 

### further Froposed hy the County Jud&eand the &:a~orthat the County of Harris ac4 the City of Houaton shall eontributn fuund.s

for the support, 

### opsmtion, an4 wintenanoe o? the Qffioe 

### of the Mreotor at Cfviliwn IIsfensaand todafray the expanses whlah are sat forth ln~the bud&et submitteb by tha Clreotor of Mvllian Deferuse, a oorg of whiah ia attaahed. Ranemlly, the type of expendltum propoaed oon6lata of the esplay~~ent of the neoeraary pemonnel, **outlays for**  **tsle** phone llnea, expenditures and,maintenanoe of siotor epulpment, and the pumhaae 0rwarning signal8 to be installed an4 aalntalned by the Eireotor. *The auggemted method or opsmtlng the Cfrioe er the Diraotor of Civilian Pefenee, and the aativtties which will be enrrled on uu4er his dfrsot%on and supervision, le **by** dlmot flnanoial oontributlon, or, eltsmatltel~, by the oontribution of equipBent, pemonnel, and aupgllea for the operetlon end oalntenonoe of the civilian derenae setup. This, therefore, immediately miaea ttls question of the authority or County orricera to contrll.uts **fund8 r0r**  this purpose, OP **the 1BndiWJ**  **Or** BmplOyBe8, **SUP** plies, and equlplaant. Thaproposed oourae or aotion pmeenta to lagmind the fo1lowI.W queationa rhlch are reapeotftily 8ubmitte4 to you rOr **4ete25htian:**‘..>.I

Eonorablo R. L. !c‘aahburn, Pago 8

"(1) Yay the kunty legally oontrlbuto to tha support andmaL~teaanoo 0r the ofrior 0r tha Qfreotor or Civilian Defenao of Harris County money from its 

### fisnaml Fund, or its Roadand Bridge Fund, or both, for the payment of the type of oxpenaea outlined in the **budget** aubmitted by the Dlreetor of Clvlllnn Defense? "(6) If the Oounty and its orrloers hove.such authority, mar the Count9, 

### l otlug through the Waulaalonera~ Qourt, enter Into a joint ooptract with the CityofHowaton, l lthar alone or jolntlt tith the various other munlolpalltlea in Farrla Count9, 

### to proTide for the o eratlon 

### Ofthe Offloe oi the Director or Clrll fan Defenae, an4 the oontrlbutlon **or** ruade ror auoh purpose out of the Osnwal Pun4andthe Roa6 an4 Bridge Fun47 "(3) If the Countymey 1 ally l atar 5.ntaauoh a co&mot as la suggeate la Quertloa (4) abova, 3 maythe County then pay over Its pro rota sham of the fund8 fixed by the oontraot to the Dlreetor ror erpaa4lture, or s.Ust any such aontraot provide that expenditures Shall be m4e only In 

### aocordanoa with the laws protl4lng for a4rrrtlaeaeat for bids, ptiaoa, audits, and other laws regulstlag tha aoaountlng for and expenditure of Gouaty funds, auoh as the Depoaltor9 T.aw,et cetera? “(4) In the event you **aimuld be**  **of** the opinloa that the County my not legally direotlj ooatribute maneafrom its General ?und, or Its Roadan4 Bridge Fund, aa 

### aug~eate4 In Queatlon (1) above, am

K acting throug it, without violating the law

the Commlaalonera* Court an4 its duly oonstltuteb offloara, auoh as the Sheriff, the imeaaor and Colleotor of 

### Taxes, ard other ajmllar 

### offloors, oontrlbuto supplies, mohlacry, equipment, and personnel for the purpose **or** operating andncfintalnlng the offioe of CliIlInn Dotense, suoh operation and malntanaaoe to be 6ubjaOt to the direotlon of the appointed Qlreotor for Harris Oounty? *'ihe obdeot to be aao~mp3lahe4 IS not onI9 a laudable one, but la undoubtedly a **pub110**Ronoreblo H. L. W48hbum, **Page &** 

I

. matter. It 8eemato me, however, that the authorlty af ths Caunty ottlaars 4ad the Comml.8- i3i0llOrEi Court, in abnnrotfon with euoh matter, is limitsd. Berrfr County happens to be rituated in a partioul4rly vital 4re8, 41~04 it 14 the mat and oenter of muahwurk and manutaatum 410 reatsd tc th4 iapcrt4nt 

### end of a ~8uecrraiul pro**88aution of**  **th4 war.**  **It** IB, 4s you know, t&r **oenter** of oil aotiritl48 **and the,**  **various r4-**  finorles themaelr46 81% at th4 **pmsgnt** time l4rg4- ly 4 aged in the mmufaaturr et tcluck4$&l;ther ingr%onts OFbaeea ot explorives. 

### therewforo, **a 4e6%rable**  objest to 

### ;.bew%ceplli5he4 by the operatlen of th4 Oftioe of Civilian 

## w4B80. *The Ccmml8rionrra~ Court Is authorlsed by tf;4 provlalon8 OfArtAolr Y, Sectian 18, of the Conatitutioa, wbioh **provides in**  **part, 48**  follaw8: 

### mrl’hacounty oommlseionore 80 ohomen. with the oounty j\?agei as presiding cfilorr, 8-1 eompo+e4

th4 GotmtJ Ccmaissionere Court, whleh 8hiLl exercise ruoh pewem and jurivdietion 

### war all &aunt? buein484, 48 18 conferred by 

## thl8
**Con8titutlon cm&**  **ths** law8 ai tha State, or 50 may be hamafter prrsaribe& * Vho ganecal pawarr 

### of a Ocuml8aion4r8* Court are provided In &tlale 2551, Vernon*8 Annot4t4d T4x48 Statut48. In addition to the genrral power8 them **awi!mrated** there are v8rioun 8 8aial power8 

### snuam+at*4 In the 8tatute8 which ia14 beon p4e8ed from time to 

### time. %%A@, ths Forty-Seventh Lsglal4turo pa8wd an 4et which Is nowa8rri4d a8

### W$tolo 835la-1, Var**wm*e** **Annotate4 Tmas**  **Watutrr,** whloh authoris411the County 

### Cmmi805awm ’ Court 

### to 'turaleh fire proteotion and fir4 **fighting** 4gulpment to th4 citisem of 8aah oouaty r48Miry **outside** the aity llmita of 4ny a%$~, town, or village within the county 

### and/Or adjoining OOPPt14e.1 '&la etatute speoitieally authorlt48 the ColsmSe8iearrs" **Court to**  **mk4 oontr4Ot6**  **with** *any city, town, 

### or village within the oouutp ad/or adjoinIng eountles, upon suoh term8 aad 

### oonditioaa aa 

### @!I

411 Conu4ie8ion4re' be 4gr.44 upon brtwesa the

ourt and the governing body OfRonarabla H. I,. Wmhburn, Page 5

6UOhOlty, ton%, cm~111~4, for the~uoe or the i

. tire truoks and other tire flshting equIpaan$ of

the ofty, town, or vfllsge.l The **4ot 4OZlO1Ud48**  with **4 provl.60**  

### reading: R~~~vIQeQd,however, that any

### flro eqolpwant purohared by any County ahall be 4~~0 only by 

### a majority tote of property 

### owning taxpayorr and quelifird vetern of such aouxty at a aountywide eleotion oalled for ruoh p~4~080.~

**“ nl4l-4**  are ale0 **~ViSfOn4** In the Pub110 E4alth **St4tUt48,** 8U4h48 &tiOlS 4410f, ‘author

### king the l xpmdfture

**by th8**  CommIsaI.oners~ CotirE 

## at County runa for publio health an4 sanlt.atIan. Arti 68Ebautharieec the OommIs4Ionerr~ Court rnQthe oounoil of any OIty or town to crpprupriata mQ 4xp4nQnon4y for the eXp4B8eSOftmOp8, bSft6ri48, OorPpEniOS, **SigBal i7U** T **8** aatIv4 x5.1 hospital 44tP8, S&l6 b8IidSOf th8 tia of thin m&e locrat44 in moh oeunti4s altier, or towns, not to 4rewa the sumof $iOOper month ror thr expenr,e ei eny on4 organization. 

### ktiale 3891a authorls~8 the **COIUlty OcPlsli841On4%** **‘ 8** **’** Qourt, oity 

### l uthorftfo8, **OOSUEUUiti48, End**  OfViU and MtriQtie Ol’@li:i3~- tioas to 

### provida funds, 

### armorI**, 

### l qulment, EatsvIal, tranrportetien, or oth4r apppmpriatc, **s4rvioes or**  **iaoilities,** 

### to the Texas EM&MO Guard. Them is also ml014 0144 proviaing 

### for a **‘ Km4**  Guard, ***** 

### Tblpl **14ttar 4t4tuts**  **mm48** to **oentsmplats ths**  organIsatlon at a gu4rvIlU band whIahwill bs 4uthorIse4, or the member8 of which will b;zauthorized, 

### to oarry **p14tO18 and**  ether weapons when *aalled to l otual duty by the aharltt.' 

### me %otprovider that 

### ‘ooimties, oit1es, and tnnnr araythrough 

### their lew**tul** gcverning bGQI48 **appropri4te** 

### trem their pub110 tr44scrIe8, rconeymto rOvI44 arm au4 ammunition for such herd un 41 **ii** such rrtla**4 M**  **they** rr4yprsaorIb4, and those reoeivlng arms from the county **shall** x&urn all isunv~ and aau5unltl~n to the ouunty 5udg4whennot an duty.' **The tfP8**  of expsnditurr authorte8Q by~th4s4 various @tat**Ut44 18**  **Very 4imiL4r**  **w th4**  **type o?**  **4Xp4UditUr4** now proposed to be made en4 about whI4h the above w*tloaas P ar4 prOpOunQ*d. ?h4 ia4t that th4 Legslature round It ne44~ury to pass etatUtHonorable H. L. Kaahburn, ?a;$. 6

: * ~peoliloally authorizing the Cwmias1onara* **Court to**  **make Eaxpendit.wre**  **of** the types above noted Impala the neoeaeary c~nolu~lon that wlth**out** suah **statutes** the Court would have no authority to arakemob expenditurea.

“So far aa I hare been able to learn then 18no statute apsoltloally authorlrlng any ofpendlture in oonneotlon with the ‘Cn?iee of Civilian Defa~nae*of any OSits branohar. Our **Court8** have repeatedly aald in the part 

### that the 

### powere of tha Ctmmir8lonera* courts and oitieera of eountior lra limited to thoee exprearly granted 

### to them by the Coa~tltutlon and mtatutea, and rueh parers as are neoessarily implied rrom those axprm~ly 

### granted.

“h’llla County va. LamparaaCounty, 40 6.W. 5b8, 90 

### Texar6OSl *Comml8alonerr~ Court of tradlwon Coun8yvm. Ballaoe, et al, 15 S. a. (2) 555;

“Van Rosanber7’ at l l.va. Xavett, 17s 2.W. **508** 

### (Error **Refund $**  W3nmisrlonera* Qourt at **liarrle** Q0Wity W. Kaiser, et al., es 5. w. (a) 840 (Error Rafuaml);

**vX.ty ot**  **Brsokmrld~o ~8.**  Stephem Oeu~~ty, ~$eimmplon of Appoal8) 180 !WxaI, 2318,40 S.B.

~~uan-Xarrea Fubllahi~ %atpanj to. Hutchinsen County, 45 S. iv. (I) 651 (Wrer Rsfuled); *Sag&ver Campbell, et al., 4i3S. y* (g) 515; and, *Len&an ~8. State, 97 8. :‘ j. (Z) e64 (Error Refured). Tit is ganerelly noa@ilzed that 

### the oaomi88ionem~ Court aay abt through @gent8 for oerta$.npurpoaeo, although their eutherity to a0 aat eoaa~a

### mmewhab limited by the atatutd8. A* t&ale 1580, Ravfred Civil Btatuter, lP%g. TheHonorable B. L. lmahburn, **Faga** 7

Legislature mayoC&?&toouiaty bualneaa to some other Lenoy than the Camiaslonera~ Court. 1* Austin Moe. ve. Patton, et aL, (domraiaalon o? Appeala), 208 S. ‘6:. 168. But appanntly the authority of the Ceatmlaslonera~ Court to delegate its authority la very llmltea. Thus It haa been held that the duty or the County aaamissioners **to audit**  all elalma 

### againat tha aoanty and

### to order 

### paidonly than found to be la judlolal and it8 perfnmanoe oannot be i**uat,** de e8ated to another. Padgett, at al. va. You~16 ounty, et al., 204 6. II’

. 1046, (Error dlamlaad, 1u9S. 6. 4591. Pnoumablf the 

### aamerule would

u OountyAuditor, in the **Qiaoharge** 0804 up on meb luah

l 

### tatuteaaa Mtlolea 166 t

, 1661, and Bumotion L, PIsetion 19, of Art1018 39138.

“Them are numeroimprovIaiona OSour Con**atitutlon** dlaoloaing a gesleral polkg s? 00nrin-

**~m~oaea** other than those ror whioh the7 were

Set Arttola III, Seotfcma 44, 61, %18, and 55;*kr?Aele I, Seotiona S and 16; and Art%- ele XV3 Saotlon 6. Our **Supreme** Court hamala0 expresaiy aeolareu that fknty t3awairaloaen~ Courta have no authority to tranaier mosey frola a fund **orsate** tar one purpose to a ipkQ omated ror 

### 5050 other purpose. 08rrol1, at al. vs. V?llllam, County **Tmaeumr,** et al, 109 **Texas** 158, IxIES.W. 504. =I do not underHand that the @overnor, In hi8 derignation of the County Judge, hu in any eense undertaken to authorire the erpendlture of any funds iOr any purpose. %e EEOverncw la, of eourae, given aomrwhatbroad authority by the erpreaa provlaiona of Saotlen 7, Artlole IV, of the Constitution, whiah reader

“life shall be Ccsunander-in-Chlof of tha **milltar toraea**  **of** the State, eroept don they ;yat;;lled into the 8etua.l serviom of the United

Be ahall hare powet to aall IIerth tho mll.t& to aeoote the law8 of the StatO* to auppreaa inaurreotlone, repel in~aalene and protaot thefrontier **iron!** hoetile knLnoura~on% by Indian or other 

### predatorybands. *Honorable E. L. Washbuxa, Pago 8

_I wAn7expenditure8 which 

### mkht be undertaken I

. la aonneotlon with the above eeatlon of the Constitution, or any 

### other aeatlon of the Conatltutlon authorizing the Governor to aat, would not, ao tar 

### 88 f amlntomed, give the Governor 

### any authority to euthoriee oounty oftlaara to 

### spend moneytram aounty 

### fund8 in the turtheranoe of the 

### and8 a8authorlrea. It aaaae to mathat l uoh l otlvltles on the 

### part a? the Govomor mumt neu

### l aaarlly be tfnanoed rrcai approp~latlona made by the Leglalature or under acaie l et 

## ofthe Legjalature apaoltloailp 

### l uthorialng the Cm8laalon

### era* Court, or other oounty ofrioera, to spend money In aid of aatIvltlea undertaken by the Governor undersonatltutlonel author1 ty.

“It aeema

### turther apparant 

### to mafroai thm executive **order proaxlpated**  by the Frealdent oroating the Otllae o? ~irlllan Dokionrethat It wee eonteaiplated that the Federal Government would defray the l otual oxgenaea laoident to thq sotup of that organization. The order aeema to aontenplate the 2tataa amunite In the CivilIan ueronae authority,, Of ooutiae, oouatlea are **declared** by **ou1** Constitution **to** be legal aubdlvIalona ai the State. Artlole 23, Saotlan 1, I understand the rule to ba that Cuimlsalonera’ Courts ma without an7legislative powers what-

‘-4. (1.

### aoever, and, amth+ governing bodies ot au+ Y i$lona ai the Etate, muat rely upon the Legdature for authority to emend ?unda. I have bean unable to find any authority for the oxpendltura propoaod In thfa l~,tanoe, either in the fern?ot a direct authorization by #a 

### Lag**lelature, or**  in the. tom of en lmplloati~ in exlatlng statute*. I hero enumerated oort8ln atetutea above tmm whioh it might be @ai4 that certain wera oould be inferred, but I:do not believe ehat they are broad enough to authorlte expenditUm8 **o? the**  **tme** here **proposed.**

**9, thsrefom,**  rWFeOt?dlly **8Ubnit ?Or**  **YOUr** detsmlnetlon the queatlcna above‘OmsmateQ, and **hare** appendedthe oltat~on ai 8UthhoritiM and dlaouaalon in the hope that they Nile., be Of someaeslctsnae fn properly Qeterminl~, the questlona submitted.

**i**BanoFablo H. L. Wa8hbuFn.Page Q

“Alvoent opinion OSyour d8p8rtmnt whloh 88-e tom tohera fbome bearingupon one

, . of thequeatlonpresentedispourOpinion I! ham -4483, date&Xaroh 16,194& addressed toRonorablo BurlBrittain,CountyAuditor, San Fatrio County, Xnton, Texan, In regard to the exponaesof theCountyJudge inourre iaynent of as Coerdlnator or CivilianDefoorrr.~
Ma thank youtar the excellentlyrrittan opinion oontainrdinyour letter. Sin84youaoourataly 8tat8 th8 lawBPw8 umlerrtand It,we adopt the vlcrs01 

### fx-48846

by you a8 

### the oplnlon 

### of thi8 Dapartmaat. It 

### fol 018 that yourrlrat and fourth qu48tionmare answered in thenegative, 

### ana your esoondand thirdqu8stlon8do not rsqulr8an an8w.F.
Your4very truly ATTORIfEYOMlCRALQ,rTZXAS