. OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

GE”&-‘=-” 

Anolln- ;‘r; : 

Ronorable Zobn R. Bhook 

Crlmlnal Dirtriot Attorney 

San Antonlo, Texar 

urt ror thbr putpoe* 

I to l rtrbllrh or 

the ~uall?lmd pmvtxs- 

,roter# of euoh oouotrp 

&tie18 44196 reabr,, iB part, a8 fol10~W: 

'P&O OOXQi8Si6BW' OOUXt Or 8~ OO\mtY 

rhallhare pow.? to l 8kbliirha OfJUt~hOhorpita1 and to 8nbrp 8ny OXi8tiAQ ho8pitalr 
Honorablt John R. Shook, page $2 

for the oare and treatment 0r person8 rufrorlng tram any il1ne88, diraaae or injury, mbjeot to the prOvlelOn8 of this chapter. At 

intervals of not 1088 than twelve mnth8, tea 

per cent of the qualified proptrty taxpaying 

Toter8 Of a COUnty 

provide rOI the t8t8 ?f 

V,etitiOn 8Uch court to 

ish1ag or enlarging of a 

oounty hoeiltal, in v&loh event said court withIn the time designated in 8uch petition #hall 

submit to ruoh voter8 at 8 rpeolal or re* 

l leotlon the propo8itlon of lsnrl~g bond8 in 

rhall reoelre 8 majoritr of the votes cf the 

qualiiled property taxpayer8 rotlng at 8uch 

el8otlon, eaid OOmDd88iOntr8 oourt shall e8- 

tabll8h and malnt8ln 8Uoh ho8pltal 8n@ shall 

hare the ioll~wing power8t* 

WRe note from the reading of this 8tatUt8 that the 

cOd881OIld~8’ c0Ul-t ha8 the VOWeI to 88ttIbli8h hO8pitd8 

subjoot to th8 prOVilliOn8 Of thl8 OhIpter. Th8 prO~i8lOn8 

then follow that upon thr fiiiE(r Of a petition by ten VW 

oent of th8 quollrled property taxpaying votbr8, the Cornmf8810ner8 Court shall 8UkQit 8UOh prOpositioIi to the 

rot8rs at a regular or speolal l leotlon. The only two 

oar88 that m are able to fild whloh di8OU88 thi8 artlolrBsydlor t. Border, 118 9. 1. (2d) VO8, and State of Tosas, 

ox rrl Wilron County Attorney v. B8rb.r. County Judge, et 

al.1 115 8. W. (2d) 1197 - hold tht thir l rtiolr is not 

in violation or the CoMtltUtion, but nowhere doe8 the 0ou.H 

go rurther with rererrnor to the pIW*qUi8ite8 or 8sl 8180- 

tlon. However, it 18 8ppared rrom the reading 0r both 

oa8b8 that the eleotion w71.1 osll8d pureuant t0 a p8titiOn 

properly filed with thr cOIllQi88iOnOI8' COtlIt. If 8 OOUlit~ 

oome8 wlthln the provi8lonr of Artlole 4478, thir departmsnt OOn8tIUe8 that article to mmn that a petltlon 18 a 

necessary prerequlslte to the calling Of an elsotloa ror 

the pUrpO8. of votln& bond8 for thr pUrpO888 WNU0Iat.d 

la this rtatutr. 
Eonorablo Johh R. Shook, pa64 #S 

ArtiOb 4493 read8 a8 rOiiOW8: 

"WhoI no oounty hoapltal 18 now provided ior 

the purpose afore88ld, or where ruoh provl8lon 1s 

insdequatr, th. OO~i88iOnOrS oourt Of each OOMtJ 

vtbloh may havr a oity rlth a population o? more 

than ten thourand pOISOn8, wlthln six month8 from 

th8 time iihtn ruoh oity Shall have attained ruoh 

population, 8uoh population to be aroertained bf 

8uoh oourt in 8Uoh manner a8 may be dote&need upon 

resolution theroof, rhall provide for the l reotlon 

of 8uoh oountg horpltal or hO8pital8 a8 tiy be n0088- 

88rr ror that purporr, and provide therein a room or 

room.8, or ward or ward8 for the oars or oonrlnrunt 

oarer, ald 8 room or room8 or ward or ward8 ror the 

temporary oar0 0r penon 8Urr8IiIIg rrom mental or 

rmftous di8ea8e, and also mak6 provision in roperate 

building8 r0r patlsnta surrrrlng rrcnn tubmroulosl8 

and other oommunloable dl8eS8e8, and rrom tlm8 to 

tire add thereto aooommodation8 uuftlolent to take 

oar0 0r t&r ~tl8nt.r 0r th8 oounty. Thir tlm8 may 

be extondsd by the State Board 02 Health for @od 

oau8. 8hown. Unlesr adequate funds for the building or &aid horpital oan b8 derived from ourrent 

funds 0r the oounty rv8ilablr ror 'ruoh RurPO88. 

lrsuanoe or oountjwarrantr am!l. rorlpt ,-th; -- ooaimirrionerr court shall rubmit, either at a 

rote-at-ruoh rleotion 88id oourt may br roquirrd 

therearter at interval8 0r not 1088 th8.n twSlva 

month8, upon prtltion 0r ten per ornt or thr qualiilad rotor8 of 8aid oounty, to 8ubmit said propositlon until Same Shall r8orlr* the rSquislt* rot0 

suthoriclng the 18Suanoe oi the boabS." 

We lb8 that thi8 reotlon of the Aot doe8 not make a 

;f;:tlon a neosasary prerSqtilslt8 ror the oalliq oi an rlooWO bellotr th8t Beur County, harln~~ a oitf oi man 

than'trn thourcmd inhabitants, rcmld be govrrnod by Artlola 

4493, and it 18 our oplnloa that Ull188S adaquato fun48 r0r 
Honorable John R. Shook, page #I 

thr building of said hospital can be derived from the 

current funds of the oountg available for suoh purpose, 

the Comlssionerrrl Court may submit, without a petition 

being filed, either at a special or regular election, th8 

proposition 0r the lssuanoe 0r county bond8 for the purpo8* 0r establishing or enlargln~ a oounty tubefoular 

hospital. 

Trustin that this answer8 your qUe8tiOn, we es. 

Very truly yOUIS 

ATTORNTCY GENE;RAL OF TEIhS 

COB-8 

c