84 

OFFICE OF THE AITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Hon. Ernert Oulnn 

county Attorney 

El 1x80 county 

Xl za80, TexQ8 

Your roornt rsqur8 

mat ln rerorenaa to lvtiolr 

n or this depart- 

'8 ReTl8ed Civil 

StPtUtW, h8 boon r.OslVed. 

CiVil 8t8ttlt(l8, 

A81OAOLT' COWt, 

ror.6 bd OA the 

l uthorirtlon br A 

yiryl vtwr8 or tb 

required to be paid 

QAt, Whhh BMrd 18 

Only rOr 8UOh PUP 

8At hp8 prOVfOU8ly rand6rsQ aA 

thi8 Bktuts, wbioh yQU nay d88ira 

p8881q 00 the QUdStiOli8 hW.‘eiMft8r 

rubaitted. (see oplnfon or Attornoy (krreral, data4 

July 14, 1936, 844ms8rd to Hononble Daviel 8. 

ldulcshr, CoUnty Attorney, El -80, ToXA8.) 

YOU thQJ3 88k thr8s qWJ8tf,QlU OOAO8rAiW the aOl%8tFW?tb3ll 

to be plaaed UVOA 8Wh Al’tiUlr Qi th6 IrtatUt*8. 
!Ian. Ernest Cuinn, ia@ 8 

30 have examlatsd tb8 opinion 0r the pr8oOdiog 

sdministration 01 thle department, to rhioh you rarer in your 

l.i$t*r. 6e have conoluded that ruoh OpitiOA i8 m?roAoOim aad 

8troulC be withdram; thtit AH1618 %568-b $8 a lii0al and specfal 

lRW ViOlCitiAg the prOVi8ioM Or ArtdOle s, se0tiOA M), Ot.OUr 

COllOtitUtiOA, and ie th8iWSOre utI0OMtitutional and vsid. 

Al'tiOle~ 235R-b, vWAOfi’6 Revlead Civil Statu68, 

;laeaed by the L4@&316tlU8 la N35, rsa68 a8 Sollmr: 

"SQQtiOn 1. u til OOUti8B in thi8 stat. 

iavlng a population or not ‘les8 than 135,000 iahabltantr 

and not mor8 than 170,000 lahabltnatr, aAd OOAtddB@ 

a city ht’iViq a PO~ILktiOA or not lrm thAA 90,000 

inhabikAtlS, 48 8hOWA by thQ la8t rOOBdiA& FedUa 

COMM, a direct tsr or Aot over ? 4 ve (S) ‘c8RtS 00. thr 

tBlU8tiOA OS Ona Hundred (djlOO.00) DOlLal'r may be 

authorized and levied by the Caedaaioaarl)~ Court ol 

suoh county, r0r the pllrpoae or s(lrertlring and premotlng the $rowtb and d~TelopmeAt ot raid aounty anb 

its ovunty rsat~ prorLdbd thd b&ore the CO~~S~IOAOT8' Court of any 8UOh ooutrriea &all bo l uth o r lsed 

to levy any tax ror 8uoh purpose the pmifiea tar 

paying voters or thF aowity 8hd by a uiaaajority rots 

authorize the '2bQmiS8iOD0fll' cuurt to tlwroattrr 18V7 

annually a tax not to eXOed Pier (5) Cent@ OA the 

OAU mlRd,md (#100.00) Dollar8 s8as88ul WIliletiOA. 

-SaO.~ 8. The sppO?Mt OS tROAOy OOliaOt4d Irma SUOh 

levy OS $axrn by the C0lKd88iOOOT8' Court of nay 8uCh 

oolmty shall be paid to tile Board or County ~YOlO~lUOAt 

in twelvrl (II!) monthly iAStAll.A#BAtr a8 6OlleOt.d. All 

Z%OU678 reoaived by thr Board Of COUAtf LWOlO&MSeAt 

Iron! such tax shall be expanded only ror tha purpomm 

authorized by this Aot. and 8uCh BoarG ahall annually 

reader an lttualzo4 acoount to ths County AUditOr or 

all reorlpt8 and di8buxsamonts. 

*EM?. 5. There is hrrrby craatsd la 8uCh oouatieo 

a~ mng vote in rav0r ot this tax a Board 0r county 

D#WOlO&mU3At, which Shru dovote it& tilW and 0ftOI-W 

t0 the Cr0Wth, adTsrti86SWt Md b8VcllOpSiWt Or 8~ 

8U0h QOUJlty. The trosrd Of County t?W@lOJvlt3At 8hAu 

0onmiet or Slva (5) meiuber;r1 two (a) to beqppointad 

by the Caaai8sionar8~ Court OS 8UOh oouatiad, reprsMAtdim Or thf4 '@griWbUMl fntQrO8t Or 8UOh 0OUJIt~W3, 

who hall r801d0 oUtsid* Ot the @OUtlty 8Mt Di” aAy auOh 
county; and thres (3) of whom shall bs appointed by 

the board of Dlrsotor8 of tbs Chambur oi Commoroe 

or thO oou&y seat of 8uch OountJ, onh Or uuob 

tbroe mombore to be a member, in good 8tandfng, of 

orgaalcea labor. Said menbum ahall sunrlbr a 

period or twp (8) years from th8tr~cappolnta85t, with+ 

out ootapmuatloa, and until thulr 8uoooeaor8 am 

appolntud and aooapt 8uoh appointment. Vaomciae on 

buoh Bow6 8nPl bu tlllrd in the 80mO amor a8 the 

orlgllul eppolntmants, pnd by the same OgOnolO8. 

*All muahur8 of 8uoh Board of County Dwalopmat shall be qualified t8x paying vot+re of tJw 

ouuntp in wbioh t&r aru appointed to mrve.” 

Art&b18 I, ssotfon 56, 0r our cowtitutioo, prooidw 

68 r0ilm8t 

Y!h* L@8laturO 8hall not, l rompt a8 othOniO0 

prtitlded in thl8 Conrtltution, pa88 fmy looal or 

rpuolal law, authori8lngt 

~tiugulsting the artalr8 0r oountlO8, oitiO8, 

tom8, ward8 Or sobool distriot88..... 

-cr86thbg 0rri0e+ or prr8oribin 

and dUtib8 Of OfriOar8, in OOUIItiO8, 0 f 

thu powem 

th8, faIU, 

rlOotlo5 OF aohool dlrtrlot8; . ..* 

It i8 oluar that the law under oon8idOntioo rOgufat.08 tb u l tralr8;or th8 oauntles to WhlOh lb applier, orrat. 

orrlaO8, O5,i prO8orib08 thO powOr and dutlorr 0r 0rrkam. 

18 it a guneral law, or‘ 1s it 8pseial and local in tiotition 

0r the Ql'0Vi8iOlU 0r Article s, Sootloa 56? 

A 1m1 whloh appllo8 only to a part or a natural ale88 

of porsow or thin@ must prudlaate it8 inalurion of th8 part 

and sxolueloa of thO baluou up05 oharaotori8tlo8 &WOtil82 to 

ths part, which, oonaldering ths objeot8 and purpossa Or.thr 

law, atford reasonable groun@ for re8trlOtin(p tha application 

0r ttm kw to ths part. CZaO8iiiOatlO5 au8t bs rUa8OMblO 

and natuml, not arbl.Wary aad oaprlOlou8. Arbitrary de81 

I? 

tion 

18 not olasslfioatlon. The vies of local or 6peofal km8 

that they rert on tibitnrjr des&nationi that they b0 AOt 

aabmae and'affsot all of the ola88 to whioh tho are mtualu 

relutud. 65 R.G.L. pp. 014-816~ 1E Aah 3Ur. PO f46, smith 1. 

stat0 (ct. Cr. app.), 49 9. 8. (eai 939; mhdolph v. St&*, 
8 

(Ct. cr. Appl), 86 S.16. (26) 484; Clark v+ Plnloy, 93 Tex. 171, 

64 &'n. &34S; City oi Ft.‘:iortb v* Bobbitt, lE1 'i'ex. 14 36 SW. 

(Zd) 490, U 3.K. (Zd) &lS3~ Fex6r County 1. 'Iya@n, lZ& TOI. 

SU.8, 97 s.Yi. (Ed) 467. 

Baoau80 population aa a baala for alaaalrioatloa bu 

b&o rwtalned by the court8 in rerpeot to legl8latlon on 

oert4in 8ubjeOk, it ha8 bean a88umed, erroneou8ly, th6t 

population braetcotr will 88rvu Zn all lnatanose. bo avoid the 

oondamaatlon of thrc Constitution. lhb miatak6n a88UMpti0Il 

proeaeda rr0m a iallure to note t.h8t population has been SWCainad a8 6 baai for alaaririoation only in ttrO86 ilutMOU8 

whore it bore a roa8oasbl8 relation to tie objaot8 and putpoe 

of the law snd wa8 founded tapon n rational dlffersnoe In the 

WOW8itie8 or oonditioim Of the -UPS aubjested t0 diffor.nt 

1eW8. 8here it hm been deterinlned W-t, oon8ldexhg tha 

Objsats 6md pm-pa888 or tha law, d~rror8no08 in population 

afiord no rational &ala r0r dirorl~lnating betuasa~ 

0r the 8ame natural Olas8, olaa8ltfhatioa 0n the e 

r0upa 

baa 8 or 

population has.been tenned arbltnrp 8elaotion, an6 the law 

ha8 boon held to b8 spoolal aml looal.. Eamdolph v. State, 

eupm. 

'Jibore population might hate sompd a8 M ritLonal 

bwir ror ah88irfiWfiiOB, ii the objeot an4 purpo80 et th0 

law had bain to lnarwlle the oompsniatlon of oountp 0rri0Om.~ 

8i5Oe thr’purposu Or the parti0Uik.r lur WL8 to lorrar 8u0h 

OompuMatioa the OG88ffiWti0I3 Was: bald to be iUVOEt& Od 

the law slpeoiel aad looal. B0W GoUuty Y. Tynan, 8Up&W 

The objeot aid purpo8s of the law UlldOr Omu-&oration 

lu to pecolt aountios to levy and oolleat a tar for advrrtl8arent 

and proakotlon 0r thu growth and development or thu oountsr a56 

it#OOMty 8-t. A natural olaar, 0P aourae; iaoludo8 all 

aouatle8 In th; Stat@. This law extends 8uOh pOW@r O&y to 

those countier having a populst?on, acoordlng to the l&at 

greosalng Psdural OUIIIBU*, of not lea6 thnn lZS,OOO am nor6 

than 175,000 tnhabitanta, and *ODtrininl; a Oity Or IIOt 10118 

than 90,000 iniisbltant8. We only county meutf,ng the186 reqUh!Ownta, at the tins of the paerbge 0r the law, xv88 Bl inha 

county. 

Itt mq be doubtrd whether the number or Inpabltaata 

r&riding within a county, and thr 8ire or a oity u$tbio 8uOh 

abunty; alnno survs in any reaaonabhi and sust~ral aannrr $0 

indicate the ?lUOO88it~, prqCiOty, Or de8fmbility Or pdX'dtti8@I 

eueb oounty to arjaea8 and expend a t-61 for advnrtialng and 
88 

pronor.In& thr growth and the doVelopmant ot the county and 118 

county aaat, wlmrr suah porar Ia d8nIe4 OS withheld troa other 

aountisr. Hj.elm v. katteraoa, 106 YInA. 206, 117 l&Y. 610. 

HOWVW wo Uo not ~laoo our 4aoIafon thet the aat under aonsiCerAtioA is local and apsaial upon this ground. 

lf population, oonesivably, my term M c. reasonabla 

and natural oritarlon or the necaraltp or deeirabllity or 

pami;tlng a oounty to tax far tha purpors of adrertiaing and 

pl’OZOtiA6 ita @owth anb QeVelO~JmAt, It muat bo u on tho 

thaory that a am11 po~ulatioo bVIdeAC@a M undsve P aped oouaty, 

a legs gopulatioa a developed couat~. The imaller the 

populatloa or a aouatr, tha c~raetor the proprlotg, awarrity 

aoia dralrsbility or psmttimg it to t6UE ror the purpose ot 

pIvmot1n.g its growth and dsvolcpmeat. . 

,ThIa lar~&pplIes only to aouatlas with A population 

ci 125,000 to 178,* inhabitanti8, arrd a city of 90,000 or 

mom I5babItaata. Oount,Ies or iea8ar popul8tloa tkre Mt 

pmeittd to uaroiaa such power. me Ldw thomroro oarmr) 

o’ut iS t&s top of the natural populntioa braokst (&ammln,g 

lW,OOO inhabit~enta In a county to repraaaat the figure at 

whiah it bocomsrr~wnaoasaary or lea8 baaireble tlukt 8 oduaty 

should tax for prf~~onoti~ Ita devrlqaaent) a dorigguitiog oi 

aountiao tizkvini; a 1468sr noad for~prmotiorr or tkais gro*hh 

and development than t&one oountIcra ~5th a,pcpulfitIoa oi~lcaa 

than :B,O00 fnhabitants. It eroludia the rrrr oouatiea whirh, 

tsklng population arr aa Indioia,~ .bovti”tba most ,ao66~~for the 

POWW* Ths law tharerora doe8 not inrilude or erabmee all 

wLIch nati~r~lly belong to the slaaa en the very~baair for claac 

'Itication selooted DT the Lsqialatura.~ Tha olaraIfioatIoA Is 

illusory, 81 mere de6ignQtiOA whioh ia Ao olasaIfIcAtion at 

all, bat, on the coAtrmy, Aa Invemted and dIr,oriaIAntorp aa 

the ltiw oonrIdstad bjr our Bupmn!b Court fn tins Tpum cmw. 

T?m arbftmry aharabtar or this purported claaaifiotttioa la the more clearly evldanoed end em~h~sisrnd by the 

fast that la hats 1930, 41at LeglalatWe, 5th Called S~aion, 

Ch. 42 (Varnoa~a CIVIl Statutal, AX& S?isb), Sll aountIra 

ih TMM hmiA& fiCOOrdi~#~ t0 the Feden 665aU8 0% 1$&o, 8 

~;oyuk~tIoA of at iaast EO&000 and 1086 than 810,000 inhabitant?, 

were pcmaItted to levy n SiEiltr tax rcr similar purpoetm. 

Rare the size of the aity within the oount$waa deemed of no 

lmport.Qnc a. ConsIderInG tlieae two'lawe toyetLzer, It la 

obaarrad that oountisa saving population8 l roasding 174,QOO 

and la88 than ZO6,~OOO iAhabitaAt8 ar’r not psrfdttofi to sxoPeia@ 

the power to hx ror auoh purpoaea~ IIt thQ 10% AOt, 80 ASW 
Hen. Emeat OhmI 2age d 

oounty offloors are created or authorized, but In tbo 1935 Lot, 

now oounty oifioare, In the form or a board of oountr derelopmmt, aro wanted in the counties with populations from 123,000 

to 178,000 with oitiaa of SO,000 or nor4. Rhat ratlonaZ be818 

I8 tr,sr4 In population llr ttbb dlroriralnatlom thus rffcsotsd? 

ArtIolo 3, 3eotIon 98, of our CoMtatIon, I8 

do8lgned. In par8, to IJfsurr that our 8yrtua of county omraamat 8hall be as ~Ifom a8 I8 pos8iblr. Jt 18 iatende 8 to 

prevent the p48sag4 of law8 which ctisorin!f.nak betwean the: 

OowMos OS thl8 State witbOUt adequate and 4Ub8tantIal dlffar4IlOW In the OhWzl4teri8tiOil Ot.th4 Individual CO'Unti48 

indicative, rrtioaallp, 0r a luO488Ity ror th8 dl84rimiinaiiiofL 

Tha law IA&U oonridaratloa Olearly ViOl*t48 th4 prOTIrfan8 

Oi~tG?tiO~O 8, 88tttiOIl 88, aad it8 IStiAifMt 8pirit alId p\tI-&IO88, 

8nd it i@ th8rOfDra UnOoMtitUtiOMi aBd void. 

The opinloa of the preo~dln6 tLdSi4iilrtrati6n of thf8 

departmeat, f&da%8 July 14, 1056 addrra8ad.to thr Hanorabl8 

liarid E. biulccrhy, County Attornay El Pam, T8xa8, sb tar a8 

our r8Oerd8 rev4al, ~816 nelthar 8ign4d nor apprDV86 by the 

Attorney Oonaral. mw4ter, ii It nay b8 r4g4rdrd a8 an or~lalal 

l Sp888iOII Or th8 Opinion Of this dSpUtSIMt, w4 f&ink It 

oloarlp 8rron40u8. and It Is th4r4Tol4 ovaruled and wlthdmwn. 

Th4 fOF4gOii& r4,prO#OiIt8 t&4 pOn8idW8d OpiniOn Or 

th18 depPrtM4nt. shoe thu &et under oon8ldsratIon 18 a 

nullity, ma oplnlom rm this deprtment'eonstruIng It8 proVI8iOD8 wouk3 04rv4 no urefu1 plupo44* 

Your8 very truiy 

=Y /d 

R. n. Fafrohlld 

A8oIe!-ant