‘. 

.a.: 697 

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

ted groupr 

to this dspartment ooi- 

. 

a* Court hats the 

soionera~ Court hava thr 

smp10g aomo parson of their 01911 ahoosing 

ut of araflqbls publia PunUa nori OJI hand 

aaa,. whoes dut.9 it will be to lnduae, 

,. orgdnlte and sduaate lan4ownrra whoae 

t8 the road?flght-of-rage to thr end that 

a and. other obnoxious reed8 will not propttln8 land,*, rhioh &rassest it f&lowed to 

remain, will rslnfsat the County rtiaduays thereby to 

a large extent, defeating the eirorts that the Commissloneers~ Court 18 making lo eliminating Johnson 

grass along ltr roadwayaP 

Wountlea, being aomponant parts oi the Stats, have 

ao power8 .or dutier exarpt thors whlah are alearly r8t rorth 

_* 
.._, 

. 

.I 

Bn. Syrian E. Marbut, page 2 

.I. 

698 c 

and dafltied in the Constitution end statutes. Ths statutes 

hare alearly defined the powers, presaribsd the dutf68, and 

lmpoaed tha liabllltlea oi the Coamlsalonera*~ Uouita, the 

msdlum through whloh the dlrrtmant acuntlsa aat, and rrom 

those statutes must acme all the authority tested ln the 

aountlda. ,I 

‘@The grants of powor to such governmental agenaisa 

as aountlss, townships And aahool dlatrlota, ara generally nora 8trlatIy aonatrued than are those to inoorporatsd munlolpalltlsa. Tha Commlsaionera~ Court ia 

not tasted with an 

*. J., 563, par. 3 % . 

genrral polZoe power. . . .” Vol. 11, 

- 

*&oamissionera~ Courts ers aourte of limited jurlsdiotion, ia that their authority extends oxiay to mattars psrtairiing to tho general aelrare or their re- 

- apeatlre oountias md that thalr powers are only those 

expressly or impllsdlf oonferred upon’ them by law, & 

that la, by the Constitution and statutes of the Stat&-~ 

Vol. 11, 9. J., 564~565, par. 37. , 

Alao, the authority of the .Comleslonera’ Court or 

any aounty to make contraota in Its bshalr, la atrlotily 

U&tad to that aonterred slthar exprezaly.or by relr or 

neaaaaary implloatlon by the Conatltution and laws or this 

State. Sea Roper 1, Hall, (Cit. App.) 280 S. iY; 289, and 

authorities thsreln oited on p. 291, ilrat oolumn. 

aXmplisd powers are quah au are naoraaary to 

aarfy Into errsot those whioh are expressly granted, 

and whloh anat thererors be presumed to hale been 

within ‘the lnteatlon of the leglalatitr grant. City 

of Uadlson ~8. Daley, 58 F. 751, 755."' Vol. 20, 

:Torda-and Phrases, pa 250. 

*The lmplled powers ot a aounty are only those 

whloh are neosssary to enable It to axeraieei either 

lta inherent or expressed powers. In re: Board ot 

Commiasionsrs 0r Cook County, 177 N. 3, 1013, 1014, 

146 RIM. 103.” Vol. 20, !‘:ords 0nd Phrases, p. 252. 

*~Impllsd porer%tf a8 or Board of County Commltmlonbra, oannot exist until orsation or express 

power trom Miloh it may spring, .-.,-Its strength mast 

be suttloient to wlthstcmd all atteoka:. of doubt. . . . 

Et&e ex rel. Bell t.Board ot Codra. or Beaage'.:Oountg 

S. D. 30ON. I,:. 832,83b." Vol. 20, kiorda and Phrases, 

1944 Cua. Pooketi Parts. n*flfl AJ 

- . 
. . 

Iion. Syrian E. Xarbut, page 3 

. . 

Art. 5, Eao. 18, Constitution or Taker, 

dlraata that the Commisaloaera~ Qourt Wahall 

exeroiae such powers and jurladlotlon over all 

oounty business, as la oonterrad by this Con- * 

atitutlon and the laws of tha State, or as may 

be heresitar presarlbed.” 

The genaral powers and duties oonferred by the 

Leglalatuxe on the Gommlsaloners * Courts are set rorth in 

Art. 2351, Y.A.C.S. M&y spaolal powsrs and duties ara 

conferred by ~tarlous other atatut ea. Howetar, attsr a 

aaretul aearah, we ara unable to find any authority, aonstltutlonal or statutory, either expressed or ltnpllad,which 

empowara the Conqlaslonera * Court 0r your county ‘*to employ 

any person for the purposes ootereti by your oommualoatlon. 

It fa,to be oonosdad that suoh purpose8 are moat worthy. 

Re\rbrth”&aas, no authority exists tar their aaoompllahnent -’ 

In the nanniir proposed. r’ 

. . 

It Ia,‘iiheretora, the opinion o? this departmant 

that both questions submitted must be answered in the 

negatl*e. 

Very truly youra, 

Ua:rt ,,