**OFFICE OF**  **THE All-ORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS**

**AUSTIN**Honorab& B. L. uwh8urn, page 2Honorable Ii.L. Ueehburn. page **3**

Lpdivldual aontreat with each enplogee, Is a ml

### lity, for the rimple remon that the E?avigatlon 

### Dl8trlc t

huPO l Ut hO rlty

under the l

t@tUt uOreatlng lt to lnuur any obligetlon which would oormtitute a ‘debt’. SO f8X 68 **th.** CfXWI%.S1OSlOr. UT attempt

to c r a+t e

l **u6h an**  **Oblig.tiC#l** by the &loptlon of an 

### order or re6olutlQtr, I think they we alearly without 8uah authority, for the vary 

### l imple rti.O<ht tbr &&i.~tUl'~h.EiOt qtVOLbthUanJ 8uOh paWar, 

### eit he r

l 4~?e881~ or by lm#ll@8tf~.
* so far l they may attempt to 0roet.e ruuh an O$%$$GiOA ip ttu iOl'AOt 8 OOlltIWt, it.et.0 

### t th0y 1 10~ 2.6 rau. l qw4i y

vithb 

### tb apin ion **0r** ths ilq-0~~ **court** In the moat au0 of 9. Y. & x. 0. ~ilrQ& Gq V.. @dVO@taE1 COtAlty, **l&J 8.**  **Y. 2n6**  **7l3.** blthdM.8, ~~VOStQA ooadip **undrrtook to**  svke am rgceuant indrplirj- ~t.bO~~b?OfAd~Q~ @@JWt~. **infUtUl ’** **e** TUr.. The 

### Court held that the 

### County warn without 

### powor to auice such a~ agree6WAt, @akin& in part: “~Publio poUog &maw38 taat 

### definite Umitatiow be ploao& on 

### the pore of the wreral polltlul 8ubtUvi.8Lonr of our government to qmod 

### publit aozuy. A8 t0 OOORti~., the 

### lirit&iOn 18 **to** pay **ouh,** that 18, to pay out **0r** wrrmt rmmm38 oc tr0r **rrradr** wbin the i&m0 00m010r th8 oounty. 

### Debt, With a ~OVi.iOSl at th0 **tiu it**  18 iEOWrO6 t0 pOy iPt8m.t and at **&Ut** tU0 **-Et** OX tha

p rio oip rl

l aoh yW2, t. tb w tit.PU

### tiva. If thi. ~OV5.8iOXl 18 ROt **8.60, the**  ***debt ”**  i. l -ty. ehi8 i8 th0 rOqUhtMAt Of&t. xx, **sec. 7,**  **arplrcr.** It. bR@MlgS 18 lUWW.tVQOd. It tOfQ@. th. PUbuO aO&' 4bS.lhd 80 OlOWl~ tht A0 arm Qrlgalw y

ofgoverAw nt

mhoal6

attempt to 604 it.'
*TM Oourt ia 

### the opinion from vhloh the above **qUOtetiOn i.**  **t&On bU8d**  **it. @~Oh8iOSh**  **Upon** tb0 l Xpre.8 **tam Of**  **th. OOMtitUtl~**  **&WOV1810ll I**  **’ .-**  **f@m@d to,**  but, l UO UIU hrmtud 8hOaUthW%tiU p~.vlOumly 8ubUtt.6 in OOanaMl- with the X'0qW.t rQr the oplAloR abOV6 a8ntlou6, tha navlgrttai WItr;ot authority 18 0v.A mom Co8triok6 than that 0r th0 c04mp **1 th.t.Ak**  **it 18**  **OlW** t&t **tb #8Vi-**  ~t,iC.h Di.triOt m8 PO **CUthCU ’**  **itJ t0**  **OrUtO 8ki**  **Obli** g&iQLI Vhi0h **VOu;ld**OOA@titUb a 'd&t' pyrbk **Out**Honorable B. L. V8ahburn. page 4

Of the F"V~AU48 of futwa yeara without acPrglying vlth **the** rar*pi **rtatut0ry** requiremud 

### for the IalUMOO or bom&, UIA than only to the extent that **it i8**  **OXJ?Q?U.l7 WthOS**  **’ %8Od**  **t0 f8.W**  **8U8h Obl%@-**  t1oM. 

### It a-8 **t0.b.** OIUP to u tb&t W Boara of Coamlm81oner8 auuiot, 61th~ by cyruktion or 

### by OwtrMt, aroete M obligation vith Lt8 em.-

Ployeer **a)** to pay at an 

### imiefialtetiPa In tb6 rutwer Cmpenutlon 

### ror **tlin** 

### lost **by rumon**  

### of in-

**“ It**  **8edDl** OhU t0 m tht the IWig&lfm Dbtriot Mm no l.mpU*d a’lthority to make agroemerit8 vbl8b amount to inst~8~~8 cmtr8ete with it8 rq?lO~OM, r~JJU'dlO.8 Of t&l4 fC@= Or OAOh Oantr&t.

"I reaognito tho taot that the Mvllyt%on Matrlat mlgbt **pmbebly** 8nter into contr~otr vltb old liars iMWAOS **00ICpMh8** iOr **pOuOf~8** Of iAWU4M **188Wd** bl **tMOr** Of **t&** e 1q.O. Of the **&Mi@iiW** 

### Dlotriot. @I (COIL App.)

LiOut&Ol%l(k.~ tjCCiQS~V..&W 12 9. II.Pd mo, tirtimlitg, egg rli. **76, rohurlag**  **tImlad** (CM. App.) **16 8.**  **Y.** ad **533~ x#yiM&**  o88Wity COmpanY **VI. hIth&OEd**  **(aA %x)**  **36 Pe6.**  **a6 986.**  

### I thbk, 

### hovover, t h at l**u8h** l O QAtre at sould **rmo~mmar1ly be**  Ilaltul to **tbm owre~t**  f8B8B

~~~68t b r Orw l8 tb0 pWBUt Qr t$IJ&~

IA other **vor68,** the Nev triot **wuld** ie ulthout mthorlty ta bl3 - itaelr 8baolutel.y

to PJ the preBlWl8 On 8-h w1101e. la **futwo** JeWa, @iIke. It **18** without 

### l

utbiWlty to areate a *d.abt’. sh? fW a8 8UOh pr4IaiUM QA 8uoh pollolmm vould be payable oUt a? ourrent rundr, **dOObtb.8** t.hqr

wo;ild have euthorrty to oontraat for 8UUh &10~OiM8.
%hO fWi@lOA DirtriOt 18 AOt 8Abj8Ot t0 th. **tfOPbYP ’** **8** a-Eonarable Ii.L. Wmmhburn, page 5

161 8. w. m 49. **Thm lamt**  **cited aame**  holdm that l l t at ut a vhloh providmd thmt mnr pub110 oorpormtion in thlm l tate might m&m a pllmmtlcui mad lnt*r int o

### qreemntm f ora ad 

### hold p

op iol mm

in mut ual

in our- o-em Ymm uaoonmt~totional mad **void.**
9I.n 

### thlm 0ollwot1on, I ml80 not* that l oau titutlaaal madunt **vu adopted**  **Bovembmr 3,**  19%, (Arr. III, Smo. 590)

by vblah thm Lm~lmlatur~ vu gltmn povor to 

### pama @ruohl8um a8 

### mmy bm namoemmry to provida rar wrkman~m CacPpmnmation xnmurauom ior 

### oortaln 8tat* mmploymem am In it8 Judgmat 1m neol mmmryor reqmiPed;mndtoplw*idm for thm pmymmat or all momta, ohargmm, au6 prmmllmu an mu& poll0108 of lamarmnae; providing thm St&m mhmll
aevor bm required to purohaao lnmursaao for my emplop.'

**“ Thm**  **plan** hero prop0804 18 **dlmtinotly mr**  **mntrromthe** ponmionplaa oreakdby 

### Ar%m. 8% **to** 6043 **fe inoorporrtmd**  **01t1em hatiq**  **a popalmt1ori**  **0r Over**  **ten thow4ad.**  **what thm**  **statute 8ppemr8**  **to oontompl~to,**  **laaly#e4ng** tha pmnmloal fua4,lm 8 **zirit4tiaa 0r**  **mbguty** to tb0 

### l p00iriO 

### rund.

vm. City of Dmllmm, ot al., 6 8. Y. %I Ys~ Bpd C&t of al&m, 

### et il. w. %wmiaell, 101 a. Y. bd 

### d9.

*a 

### 0atiaiz. mh th0 **r0w08t** 

### r- M opinion benia utb, x roapmotfuuy 

### rmror to yaw ion lo. duo, ud thm OplnLoM or Mr. 

### &Me "n"' Kalpp at Jw %r t0 w rwu08t r0r 0pf~i02i drt0d



### 3, rdatlng

to 

### l **uthctrity** 0r **tkm uati-**  ***tiTELtrlot** 

### to **ooatraot gmxnrrlly**  **aad author**  ities thmroin oltmd, fa addltlon to theme 

### l bovm Matioad. I

.

. . . . Thm Earrim oouaty--Houmton ship chmnnml mnd marl.@mtlon Dimtriot YU 

### mmtabllmhmdby virtue OS 8motlon 9, &tl0b III 0f tb 8th a0mmti~ md Chapter a, md.0 3.28, 

### Voraon@aAnnotated 

### Olrll Stattior.

ma aaid JIavqpt1an Dlmtriot 

### 18 m poa.ltioal 

### lmbdlvi

### don of thm at&e, 

### umrola9 a part of tam mov.C.1
ur pwmrm Oi thm 

### 8t8te end 18 not 

### l imp y l pub110 or w&ml p 

### ll0 oor

### poratlon llkm l **oamon** ou rimr or o-1 **mad** domk **oorporetlon.**Honorablm Ii.L. Washburn, page **6**

**Srutrlalng** thlm
r opomltlon Ii*oltm thm 0-m of **CUdhart** v. Bruom River limrar Mmvlgmtlon Dimtrlot, 42 8. N. (2d) 96, 

### Al00 thm oamo or **Cmrpmntmr v.**  A.rryo-Oolormdo Nevi trl8t, of Cmmoaoa awl Ullmon GOuntlemr 111 a. V. md oumm mnd ruthorltlmm mmntlonmd in thmmo (IUrns. 

### UumrBlW+tlon Mmtrlot8 

### arm l 8mmUil83& polltloal vlmlonm 

### 0r thm atus. They are govmrmmkmntml 

### apnmlom, &it10 mad oarpOPmto with thm pOUW8 to 

### ~~018~ the 

### right8,prlrl~m u&6 povrn uoaforrul upoa them by lawa Zhq mr8 gmnmrally trutod am mnaa.iolpal oorporatlonm in tku mmamo that t&y ara aauflnmd 

### to **deflalto** gmographiobl aseam, awl 

### &am no go+eramuitrl pouorm outmlb of thea and 

### l a&jmot to 

### the 

### mum rmlom u 8pplhdln rrrivhgrt the par-8 ai oountier ubd oitlam. Artlolm XVI Smmtlon 59 of thm @onmtltutl* 

### Zrbmler v. Carlton, 096 8. Y. **l(r?Oj** ?mrrlmmm v. Gammron County 

### Vator &prov&nt Mmtrlot, 25 8. If. (?a) **6gli &mr**  County v. Hmdlaa-Atuaoma Couaty V8tmr Improvumuat Dlatrlot
v. Wats, 21 S. U. **(Pd) 747.** 

**In** thm **oame of**  **l%-Clt Pruh**  **Yatar %**  ly Mmtrlot Mzdf of Iiarrlr

Couaty v. Ilmnn,**f42 S.**  **U. (2a)**  **9%,** It **was**

"It-18 l 

### mneral rule 

### or ju4ieialoonmtruot1oilwt 

### l

vu&rllorma~'EunLolpmlooqxuutlon We w 8umh iaglled povmrm 

### a8 mzw 

### reemoorbly nmmemmary to mmkm 

### af?*otl** tha pow** mxprmmml~ 

### 8umhU are ladl8pmlb 

### l 0t;a 0r 

### th0

0wp0wa.00 th0 purpoll.8 Of it8 Parrow rhkhuu notoxprm88mdW alloh 4r; Bmroly oaw8nla&t or UUN ma& aot bm lnuludmd aI& aaaaot be mluatuMd. pLrt-, 

### E;yrn are 

### greated to 8 aml6lgmll$y br

3 **wlmltm,** mumhpwmzm wo not qdlu@ by goyr 

### Uag u agm round 

### l

18WbO~O in thm Au.

. . .In ds.Sau8 l-2 thl8 8ubjmot, it Yam maid ln the oama of Portu vs. citr 0.r MO, PO5 a. w. 1104, tht %ny rcir, rouonmb&, 

### l

ubmt~tlml dombt ooammrahg thm uerol8e oi power ;. rmmzmd by thm ootxPt8 mgU.nmt l oorpor~tlan, mnd thm power or war7 mmiolpml aorporatlon the 0Mrtmr or 8t&UtO b; Uhiah it is Orut@d 18 mn WgMiO ut. !lmlthmr thm 

### oorporatlaa

nor it8 offlo* **oua 60**  **any aot,**  **or Mkrn**  **mny**Honorable Ii.L. ilamhburn, pmgm 7

oontrmot, or inour mny llmblllty, not authorized thereby, or by l

### omm legimlitlvm mot 

### l pplloeblm thmroto. thm l oopm of the pavers grmnted are void. All mote bmrond

. . ." 

### Tbmra arm mover*1 l 

### emtianm

**or the**  **state Corutitu**  tlon rhiah l

vl&noe l demiro mnd intontlon to give **every** pom8lbI.O 

### Mf OgUS?d

t0 th8 l p Mdit rPO

Or pUbif rWd8 Md 

### t0 owpmlth~ir

l ppUoatiantobe properly 8xpmnded 

### tar thm per

### pomo8 l

uthorlcmd by 

### lmv. (ArtLmlm III, 8omtloam 44, 49, f& 52 Md 5). m0 8mm the pFOrlUOI!AS Or hPtiO& 1, 8Mti4It 3, bmotlon **l6; aa**  ~rtiole **XVI, Seatdon**  **6,** of **the** ConmtitutrQPr.)

Am hmrmtolore stated, the maid Navig8tlan Matriot 18 l pOlltla d

l ub dl VlUOa of

thm 8-t. andO~tal.dylta 

### r8m w 

### pa.10 rum. Therefore the movmral po*181om **or** th8 beak Coamtltutlon liutiag thm ume 

### 0r publio **rrurdr** by its polltlmal l

ubdlvlmlonm do, in om oplnlon, 8pply to thm Earrla County Mvlgatlon Dlmtrlot.

Wnertily 8 ¬ated Olvll.

St&u 

### em, expremm~~ **8et8 forth**  OertUa rL&htm, r mklng 

### Chapter 8, T’itle lN, **Veraan ’** **s** power8 mad 

### privilbgom of Irvlgmtlon Dlmtrlotm. gush 

### D&8- trlot8 may oantraot sue mnd be 

### l mmd, Conmtrumt it8 ovn i-11- **ftkm** lmmw axi4 me il buMm, lovytaxmm,emaploy mngiworr 

### aad &orneym 

### ud other employees 

### 48 ~DIJ bm ne008wy **r0r** the oonmtruotlon, 88Zntenmnoo mnd oprmtlon, 8nd developnnt of the Bmv1g8t1on m8triOt8, its 

### bumin f801l.ltA.m*, 

### premmrlbm their dutlem mnd fl.x their aompenmmtlon, etc. E0WoVmP, tbwr 18 **a0 8mOifiO**  **mri81Olb Of**  **the 8htUt.**  **vhiah mUthOr%**  **&**



### . - reg~tionu.t~~~~8i~~tiOn U. VWJ 

### 8l&e&t **to th8**  

### wO?w'8 0 tiOM 18 t0 rir . m pWpO88 Of the88 rOgU&- terms, oolldltloam, and ll8itat10nm UQdmP Vhlah the gavlg8tlon Dlmtrlot will pmy Oompea8Ulon to its mmwe8 ln thomec.oamem vhere 4Urie8 ue l umtained in the oou?mm ofemplopenthmveremulted lndlmmblllfy or death. SUd regmlatlonm met **rtwhth0** rulmm uhlmh mrm to bm rollowed in&- w thm pipL)Ptm, limbllitlem, duties and obllgatlom OS 

### t&e NwigUlon.IM8triot to 

### its uglmyeor ror -8 ULmh remmltiDgper8wm1lnJmrlem 

### or dmath of mmiployeem. The oapen8atlonm 

### provided by 

### mud roguletlcma me to 

### bo oaamldmr- 

### .d U 

### 8-T t0 

### m U@lOy.S. Coa alderlng thm **rogulUlcm8** lm l whole It&a Lukri4Z~#ethr mu@a oapenmmtlonlm oonmfderl **du** 

### 8dU7 or othmrVl8.. &Id regulations mrm **aothlng** norm or b88 th8n 8n attempt 

### by thm district 

### to pr0vld.m vorkmma~m ocmpenmUlon i0r St8.mm&myoem. %hm 8U.d **regulatlonm ower**  &ml oonmtltute 

### an **a&ebmdat** 

### b/tumm*thm.Navl.gatlon Dlmtrlat:

.

Honorablm B. L. Uamhburn, page 8



### mad its 

### l

~lapem r0r 

### oapmnmmtlon in lieu d dmamgmm **for** 

### pmrmad Injuries l umtalned by mn mmployem in thm oomrme of him 

### l ploymmat, or for 6mthremultingfraopmrmcaml lnjurlem so 8IUt8iLWd. It 18 oar Opiniw that th8 **NaVlgUiM** M86rlot h88 a0 mxpremme4 or wed 

### l athoslt~ to m8km

a eewntmvh.imh 88omntm **to** lnmtuwno* **oontr8otm** vlth Its of the imrm OS l umh oontr8ct or regulmtlonm. orme*, reg8rdlemm **There** are no l 

### tatutem empowering mmoh Narlptlon Dlmtrlotm to eatmr into 

### an **agreemmat** 

### or adopt rm&latlonm l u8b 8s 

### are under oculder8- 

### tion. tire. 

### Y!hererora, ywr first question 18 l 

### nmwered in thm 

### nogaA8 ve hmve anmuered your first qummtlon b TAM negm

### tlvo, it beooma manmommm8r~ to 

### dimoumm thm other 

### qummtloaa prementmd in your 

### inquiry.

Our OylnlonNo. O-4140 Is 

### l pplioablmmnd vi11 **oon** trol u 

### to paragraph a of thm maid Cm r0r wdicel **nib,** hompltmlimmtion mnd &ulmtlonm which provides
of thm Navl a4gm 

### furnimhmdempkgeem

**tbmlr** ear nor tlon Dimtrlot vhtmh.~.::mumtaInablm 8s 8 pmr?i of

oompmnmatlonwhmre this Bomrdhmm ma& **gmamra2 povlUeam**  theref **or.** 

### In other vwdm, the Bavlgatlon Mmtrlot hu.uthorltyto.gru,.m **part** of the sgaotx04mpbnMt1mt0 

### be pld eaployee8, to fmrnimh stipulated l ervl oem

for hampfklIUtlom, drugs mnd mmdlmal mtteatlon. 

### ittOV.VU?, 88 8tmtedin uld 0plnlo.u

Ho. O-1140 thmmm omnot bm 

### unlimited ln **aaaunt or**  klad, aad mm&, thmroiore, bm 

### for moms mmonmble fixed smxlmum 

### 8mcMmt.

Yours **wry** 

### truly

AlToRNEY aNn?AL w TJaM 

# By f42-dwoL

Ardmll u1lllmam

Ammlmtant



# P

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