,OFFICEOF?tiEATTORNEY GEtiERAL'OFTEXAS 

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AUSTIN : GauroclmIm .~ -- *r-- ' .',y* ..'. aonorabls Burl Brit.ts5.n _: '. .' Countr Auditor

opinion ot this depnr ma&, ln part, a0 Po 8 is a aurplue? requostlngan

ap~raci&o your;

opinion on this followl~~questionr "Can the **&X!2l~S~iOn!?~8** Cowt ru-lmburea the Road & J3sldge

Fund f~orn

other Avnilabls County Funds in which thera in a ourpluo?"

. . ;' *HonorableBurl Brlttaln,Pago 2

. hhs~10'667411, Vernoi’sAnnotated civil statutes, i rea69, In part, 88 followsr I "Whenever,in the judgment of the State.

Highway Commission,the us0 of acquisition .':;,

. of any land for road, right of way purposes, ;- timber, earth, stone, gravel or other mate- "'. Hal, necessaryor convenientto any &ad to

. be constructed,

reconstructed,

nelntalned, videned, straightened or lengthened,or land : not 8XC.Sbin& 02-N hundred (LOO) fE& in Width for strom bed diversion in connectionwlth the locritlng,

relocatingor constructionof a ileslgnated

State Hlghvay by the State Highvay Commission,the 3ama may be acquiredby purchaee or oondenoation by the Couutg Commlf4slonsrs

court. Provided that tho County in vhlch the State Rlghvay is locatedmay .,' pay for same out OS .thoCounty Road and @ridge Fund, 07 any.available county funds.

.. I.: : ‘Any Cotissioners Court is hereby au- .thoMsed td secureby purchase or by oondem- ~nstionon beh8lf of the State of Fexas, any ne’d or wider right of tray or land not exceedSag one hundred (103) feet in width for stream bed diversionin connectionvlth the locating, relocatingor construction of a ckslgnated State ELighvay,

or land Or lands for niaterfal or borrov pits, to bo used ln tho construction, recoristructlon,

or maintenance0f State Hlghvaya.an~I to pay for the, sams out of the Cou&y Road and Bridge Fun&, or out of any special road funds or any availablecounty funds. 0 .*4." As ve understand our re&3t, the rlf&t of'va$,b questionwas acquiredfor t 3: c purposesmentioned ln Article 6674n, suppa, atid

by virtue of ssld StatutBr.., In'reply to the above stated quantlon,. you are advised that lt ls.our opinion that the co~lssloncrs' court may 3ecure the right of way ln th3 nanner provided by Article 667411, supra, and "pay for the same out of the County Road and Bridge Fundk or out of any special road fuuds or any av+lable county funds, a8 stktcd ln Article 66.74ni Holfever, thi3 Statute do)Gs not author123 tho commlsoionc~s' court to transfermoney from one constltutlonal fuud to.another,or to expand for on3 purpo30, tax money

.Eon&able Eurl Britialn,Page 3
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raised ostensiblyfor anotherpurpos'e.The C&&it&ion prescribes the mzxiuum rate of taxes for genorsl purposes,for roads end bridges, for juries, end for permanent lmproVements, reapectlvely. **!fhe moneys**  erislng from taxes lovied ad&collooted for eaoh OS the enumeratedpurpose3 are constitutional '$unds. (Carrollvs. '61'llllams, 202 S. W. 504; Tsx. Jur. Vol. 11, Psge 609). Ha think the term "availablecounty fun&s" as used ln the above mentioned Statutemeans such Sunds as have not been raised,.

collectedor appropriatedfor a specificpurpose. The comdssloners' court has no legal authority or right to reimburse the Road and Bridge Fund Sron any other constltutlonal fund in vhlch thero.lse surplus or from any other fund or funds vhlch have boon raised, collected or appropriatedfor e 3peclslcpurpooc. If we have not mede ourselvesclear with referenceto any particularfund, plaase advise us as to vhat particularf'und

or funds from which It is contemplated, the Road end Bridge Fund will be reimbursed.

In connection

with the foregoingv3 direct your attention to our OpinionsEo. O-65, O-413, O-1397 and o-3137, copias of vhlch are enclosed for your information.

BrustZng that the foregoing fully nntisers your inquiryy, ve ‘are

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AW:RS :...

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. RRCLOSURES _' Yours 'Yq tru1g ATiOW?iY GEHJZP& OF ?RXAS &/sd&~+ By : ATdell Ullllams

Assistant