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Fi44 

ORICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ‘TEXAS 

AUSTlri 

~GZ!E!f 

cb I 

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relatbd quo8tlonn. 

opln.ion of thla Dein stated ha8 boon ropart ae follow2t: 

County maintains an acoount in the 

rein the Jury Fund Iload and Bride. 

and Courthouee an8 Jail Fund are oarand are Oashd buliaorbninately out OS thi$ 

in this 

In other words, as low (~8 thora is any money 

oomblasd fund, all warrants drawn am oaaheQ, 

whloh results in cashing warrants drawn on one account 

from funds to ths oredlt of aaothar amount. 
-Hononblo Baa J. Imatk, Pago 2 

*At the 

4” 

aont tim the Road and Bridge tund 

la overdrawn ntho ma of ~i50,80%.87, rhfoh is ooe 

sued Ot the OiIrd~tt and the lmlanoe tram the my 

Fund, Goneral Xund, and Courthousr and Jail ?und. In 

other word*, tbo Road end Brldeo Nnd owma the Jury 

Yund Oonoral Jund, amI oourthcure aad Jail Fund aad 

*v&aft Of the amount or $SO,S06.87. 

The normal motor voblolo floonmo too@ oolriry to 

Stopbenm County annually aro in a maa slightly in ox0188 ot ~80,000.00, whioh ~111 

t&l by ha end Ot Apl’il, 1941. 

normally bo paid in 

t 

*It Is propond that tho Comn.lrslc~or~ Court eater 

an order reoitlhg the raots ebova smwrated or m auoh 

thueot an amy bo pertinent to BP uubratanailrs of tb8 

sltuatlca, and ptotlding tht tfm aarrant to the utont OS i1S0,000.00 ba lsruod, peyablo not later than my 

1, lS41, and'payablo out of the motor vohiolo lioenm 

tax money oomlng to Stophona County pr%or to that data. 

“. . . . 

"I should liko to l aktho iollodu& quortlonm 

-(a) IO Btephanr Oouuty author&a4 fo @atry tb 

fo ur l b o vo fund. in o w l ooo unt? 

m(b) ID the drpoaltory l a th o r izto o d pv a ohaok 

dram on the Road and Brldgo Fun8 wban tho Road nnd 

Brldgo Fund la l shaurtod and imymont haa to be &ad* 

tram moneya ollooablo to tha other tlati iandr? 

"(0) If the dopoaitory 10 authceizod to make l uoh 

pymont, 10 the runty l uthorltod to trmraot burinOa* 

in thla way, ok would this bo a violation ot the lam 

“(d) DGOS tho OoUnty haV0 pmor t0 imM y1vMte 

end plodeo the mObOr VOhiClO liOOD80 rOO& in Pa]ypmt 

0r 89w 

"(0) II the Cormty Obli~8t86ftciOlf t0 Pay tt;a 

6um. cf ~!jo,000.00 to the boot .at thin th.6, wuld the 

EOtOr vehicle iioec~w fess tics batw%n tm: BIIC 2.y 16t, 
_.. . ..- ---. 

_ .-.. . _._ -.-.-- - .---..- - 

_..- 

/-- -.- 646 

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!iononble Ben J. 3Onn, rixde 3 

nut you, ba ccmaldorod 

such obl~ation could bo 

'_ 

'ourrat tuada' traa ubloh 

mid? 

'(t) U the oouaty oan lmdully borrow &J 000 

and plOdgo tho aotor vohiolOlioOnaO t008 r00~1v~blO 

prior to By. 

'rmta or by ;d t; 

&ml, dthsr by tho iaauaaoo ot warsot oblleation, should it out of tld8 

paf brok to.thO OsnorOl Fuad, tho Jury Fund, and 

Oo Or th o ul ano d J&l Sund the amouattro8 tlmro fund8 

that haa boan uaod by the Rad and Bridge mtw 

ssotloa 9, Art1010 WI & the SW00 Conotltutiao 

gnaorlbua thqawimum rat0 ot tams t6r4ptwel 

roads rvld brldgoa, r0i Jyd88, rnd tar pumaaaat Ep"p 

OBM, ror 

resmotlvoly. Tbr money 8rIslne trpmtaxem 1O~f0d z?%%tl 

Zroa aaob or thr l bovo wamera~oa pwpoaoa are oMatlttit%cuml 

fuada. 

monoy 

ThO oolmlad~a~a~ oourt has no autlwrltr to treasfer 

from one to another oonrtIt.uUoclnl fund, cw to l xm, 

ior ono purpoao, tu rmonay raiaod oetondbly toremthor purPomr Tho ImmadIato purpooo ot th0 %oviaion is to llmlt the 

amount OS tares that 8~8~ bo raiabd for thOa0 00ran1 puxwaO8, 

na~OtIrOly, and it Is Olao dsal@ad to :DhfbIt OxoOsdro 

o~~dlturea for any ot auoh purposoa and to ropulxm tht l ny 

and an moacya ral8ed by taxation tor a ny purpoar l hbn lm ap 

pllOd to that partlouhr purpose aMno othor. Cam01 V. 

killlams, 202 5. w. so4 

2. Jur. vol. 11, P. & 

mlt v. Hill county, 118 s. w. abe; 

6 V-10-11; lie~nd~raon v. Farr, Me S. I. 

. 

hrtlolo 68958-10, Verncn*a maotatod ClrIl ;itatutea, 

prooidos in part tbatr 

WI xonbay ot oaoh work oaoh oounty tax oollOotor ahall doposit in the oounty dopodtor of hlr 

oounty to the oro6lt of tho oounty road and i rldp 

tund an amount oquO1 to on0 hundmd (lOO$) porooat 

of not colleotions mado honunder Audng the proomd1% ucak urrtil tt.is amOunt SO dapoaited ror the ourrmt calemler year ab,brll holo reached a total sum oi 

fifty ttoussnd ($50,000) dollara. 

" mne of tha nonoye I?0 plaoaa to the cwodit’oi :ho road and bride0 rund or t5. oounty shall 

be used tt pay the aelary or ocmpensation or any oounty 
lionorable Ben J. maa, Pago 4 

JwIgr or oouaty Ocmmln~loner, but all said ~poney 

ahall bo ured ior the oonatruotim and aaldoimn0a 

or la ta Mr 1 a r e8r a d suc h o o untUllp 6.T the l p er vtrlon or the o o ua l ta&Waar, y Ii there bo oao, ad lf 

tlkorrla m. suoh l nb ;ia othan wí, the oounty oaalorlomr~* 

oou%rball hro thr wthorlty to oomaad the rmlora 

or tbi'altiaicor l nglnrer 0r tha stata Hi6hmr mgllrtmeat ror tin purpose 0s 8upwvirtcg the aonrtruotlon 

The above mnti0n.d nttitUt0 ex9r.rrlj9r0~id.r hmf 

li0.M. teea Ooai~&tO a 0ount.y sh811 br aXMBdO& 

It has 1Ong boon held by the oourtll ot thla it.t. 

. that the oomulsalonorr* oourta have no poumrr or dutloo exoept 

thorn uhlohan clearly set rorth anQ derlned in the CoaetltutlaP aaa datutoa oftho Stata or naoesrarlly iaqllrd thwermra. ._ 

It was be14 in our Oplnloa No. O-937 that tlm a&- 

afmera' oourt 416 not have the authority to traasier tundr 

iron tha rad and bridge fund to the geaarolfuml, It im 

iurthar rtatrd in said oplalon tpat "t-h@ OarPlniS6iCdMM’ oourt 

lr not authorlned totranorer any iacneye rrm one ooaatltuttOa81 fund intO -0thW. euoh traaarer, it naao, rouM ooaatituta a diverUm oi ouch fan4r and bo laralid.~ 

The suprenr Court of this State has olearly dnun 0 

di&inotloa betraan oonstltutlonal and rtntutory iuada, hoMlng that thr ooami88lomra* oourt, under Artiolo 1630, Vo?aon*a 

mtm0t04 civil statutrm, 1~ not authorized to direct a traar 

far arcs one ooastltutloml runa 0r monmy rrorlvr.6 rroo take8 

1e+ied oateaaib1.y ror oao purpose into another fund or l t9orrd' 

ror another and dlrtlaot pur9oso. This authorlty gmntod la 

ralb rtatuto wao thorrroro hold to apply only to l tatuto 

rutids aoa the oommlarimorn* oourt la authorlead to mak*& 

such tranatsrw of fund as by statute are speoIfioal1y WV* 

ated. Carroll v. villlfaui~, supra. 

P 
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F 

xoaoxubl6 Bea J. CAM, Pnge 6 

nrtlcle 2554, v.A..:.~,. ~rovZ5as in prt that1 

*It Utull be t38 duty of tks osunty tresswer 

th4 pra3entatiOa to hiz of any warrant, 

Check, roucSer, or order draw by the proper 

authority, ii there be funds SUmCle& r3r 

the payment th:cor on Cesuslt :1 tke acctouat 

a@hist wblch SUOb w8rrunt Jr3 crswn, to escoruo upaa I.& reoc or uuct itstru=e-.t tiis 

order toyox tk6 BLOM to the ;4yio nw.od therein 0~6 to 'W&I tha S:SE oa hi4 baoks to the 

faad upon w % ich it la bqaw. . ?t shell tm 

the outy cr 6UOh depositary t; &.3? 1 astoiled . 

acbnthly statoa4zltto tile eo-idsllio3txs' oourt - 

at esch rep&r term or oald court abowl~e 

the dolly balmices to the oredlt or oaoh or 

tho r0a 67 dsposit. l . .* 

N-’ 

mtlole 16X0, F.&&&L provide4: 

*TL-u acaouats or the tax colleotor *ball 

. bo kept as follou6, A 6epirat8 aooouat nball 

b6 kc;rt ror air&i aopsr6te rum3 thnt my be 

upO5 the tax roU6; oaob eoomnt 8hull 6t6tr 

the sacs or the oolleotor, the character or 

th4 imzu? catered therein, an4 the yoer for 

which the s..ze is a~soseab; SW.: V-0 tows 

aCnezinC fo,- &oh yew shall be kapt scparute 

am: ~lrtiEot." 

CorssiAer:~ the above nm!tionIiad tatuteu ta~ether 

with &X%iClt~ %x1 m6. 7~61~:z849, v. .b cb a.. aDc 

0th~ ssrticant otatuter, it Is opprant t&t lt 16 oant4~- 

plate@ tlist d eaprate acoxmt ahall be BOgL tar ea0h 

eeprste rund upa2 tba tax rolla. 

a 0;:nioa of this Uo;m+mnt (6lcnalal Seport 

of tbe ittorney Cenerul. 1912-1914, ;a~ 9 lC3) to144 3.6 

0rr00t tht the coep a3p03:tory flirt :X~F s separate 

6CCOWt fa,t tUCh fUSId. . 

fr: vlcr: 3f the rore;Gl;; rrGtt1:3ri:1os *:J rQ\swer. 

y-;~r ;:id:ti3cs a9 r0lw.t6: 
. 

. 

The OOUit~ dt3pOBftOry iB llOt aUthOl’iZ0d to ptly a 

ahoak dram an the roe6 and bridge fum? when the road aa 

brldgs fund 1s exhausted; whe,n poywnt has to be made iron 

noueyo allocated to the other thr:e funCs cbovo rentloned the 

payment or a cheek drawn on the road und brld&e tund would be 

(L di~WiOn Or 6Sid futld8. 

The QIlSWOr t0 the WCOUd qUC5tiOn’aS atatS6 abv, 

neoessarlly answerm your third puostlon. 

The County dOIIB DOt &If8 pier t0 mm the mrr&8 

aentiontd in yo 

v 

r inquiry and pie@ the nator nhlalo llasnso 

fob in paymntgr add warrants. 

. The llaonse far8 duo between naw ~4 !:.'r 1, 1942, aaa 

not be consldarod as current tunds ?roa wblah to pay tho suiu 

of b~0,oO-O above mentlonti in tbe event the aounty abligatu 

ttmelf to pay suoh sUJ at thio tlmo. 2330 iioenm roe8 wt br 

expended in tha penner as set out by Article CO7Sa-10. 

In en~wor to youi lost question, you ime reapeaU* 

adrimed that the oounty cannot lawfully b:mrow the ~50,000 

above nentlo;:ed and lodge the motor vehicle lloonae'iaoa recelvod prlar to Kay f, 1941, for the paynant thsroot. 

mu8ting tm the raregoing ruily an~wtm your inqu?ry, we are 

APPFKJVECDEC 11, 1940 

b.u 

ATTORNEY G?%NEFtAL OF'l!EX.As 

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