OFFICE OF THE All-ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

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

Lpdivldual aontreat with each enplogee, Is a mllity, for the rimple remon that the E?avigatlon 

Dl8tr lhu c t P O l UthOr ltunder y the l t@ tUtu Oreatlng lt to lnuur any obligetlon which would oormtitute a ‘debt’. SO f8X 68 th. CfXWI%.S1OSlOr. UT 

a ttemptt o c r a +tl e 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, eithel 4~?e881~ r 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 th01 1 y 0~r a2.u. l q6 w4 iy vithb tb a p inion 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 th a p r io o ip rl l aoh yW2, t. tb w tit.PUtiva. 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 

a r m Qr l g a lwy o f g o ver Awnt mho a lattempt 6 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 UIUh r mtud 8hO aUthW%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 Oblig&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 Ial UMOO 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.- 

P 

loyeer 

a) 

to pay at an imiefialte tiPa 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, th a t l u8h l OQAtr ea t sould rmo~mmar1ly be Ilaltul to tbm owre~t 

f8B8B~~~68t b r Or w l 8 tb0 pWBUt Qr t$IJ&~ 

IA other vor68, the Nev 

triot wuld ie ulthout mthorlty ta bl 3 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 ta tuta vhloh providmd thmt mnr pub110 oorpormtion in thlm l tate might m&m a pllmmtlcui mad l nt*r 

into qreemntm for a a d hold p op io lmm in mutua l inour- o-em Ymm uaoonmt~totional mad void. 

9I.n thlm 0ollwot1on, I ml80 no t* th a t l o a utitutlaaal madunt vu adopted Bovembmr 3, 19%, (Arr. 

III, Smo. 590) by vblah thm Lm~lmlatur~ vu gltmn 

povor to pama @ruoh l8um 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 mrmntrromthe 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, r da tlnto g l uthctrity 0r tkm uati- 

*tiTELtrlot to ooatraot gmxnrrlly aad authorities thmroin oltmd, fa addltlon to theme l bovm Matioad. 

I . 

. . . . 

Thm Earrim oouaty--Houmton ship chmnnml mnd marl.@mtlon Dimtriot YU mmtabllmhmd by virtue OS 8motlon 9, &tl0b III 0f tb 8th a0mmti~ md Chapter a, md.0 3.28, 

Voraon@a Annotated Olrll Stattior. 

ma aaid JIavqpt1an Dlmtriot 18 m poa.ltioal l mbdlvidon of thm at&e, umrola 

9 

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 oorporatlon llkm l oamon o ur imr 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 limr ar 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 a r m 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 ju4ieial oonmtruot1oilwt 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;0r a 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 Ua g u a round gm 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 

b y 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 Corutitutlon rhiah l vl&noe l demiro mnd intontlon to give every pom8lbI.O M fOg US?d t0 th8 l p M ditr OPr O p Ub if r Wd8 Md t0 

o wp mlth ~l ippUoatiantobe r properly 8xpmnded tar thm perpomo8 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 p Olltla d l ub dlVlUOa othm f 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 r em, expremm~~ 8et8 forth OertUa rL&htm, 

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. Co a a lder lng thm rogulUlcm8 l m 

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 negmtlvo, it beooma manmommm8r~ to dimoumm thm other qummtloaa 

prementmd in your inquiry. 

Our Oylnlon No. O-4140 Is l pplioablm mnd vi11 oontrol 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 er vlo em 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 APPPBVEG ‘\