OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

GROVER SELLERS 

ATrol?NEI CIENERAL 

:ionorabls Alton C. Arndd 

County Attorney 

3razoria County 

AAgletoli, ?Oxa6 

Dear Sir: OpiZiOA 50. 0-6~+41 

3033 pears ago, eetabCouty Library, whia3 haa dtivrlo;cd 

atiltrr large unit nith brafizk units at 

nt points throughout the county. One 

e branch libraries is located in Allin, 

Taxaa, an ltcoraorsted town in 3razorla County. 

Considerable interest has buen s?mwn by the 

people of Alvirr so tiiat tkio branch of the 

library loaeted thare 288 becme one or tt;e 

aoat tipoortaut in tkrr library or~anizatiotl, 

Up to tills tics a Itake-shift building, w;llcb 

is entirely inadeqpustr to house ttils unit, 

ha8 been used for library >urpooes at Alv~tn. 
174 

hon. Alton C. Arnold, pa&a 2 

“Do the parieral power8 granted ths Comprtfdaloners’ court by tha statutes go so rer 50 to 

allow thu Court to appropriate l~oney Srogl the 

county Funds Sor the con$truotion or a branoh 

library buildihg when auc~ building is nacded 

in oohneotion nith t:ie library service in an 

inoorporatad town other than the County seat? 

Ths proDosed building iv111 aoat in the mighborhood of two or three thouaand dollam. 

*IS the Court has the authority to oonstruct 

auoh a build& frora County Funds, Is there a 

linit in tha asxxmt OS mor.oy that pay be expended 

upon suah e building? 

“1 would alao llka to kow whati;sr or not the 

appropriations say be .;.lads Srou tLa Ad faloraia 

lhuul or froi4 aoas other aounty fxA.* 

Artlcls 1677, Vernon’s kmotattid slvil statutes, 

provides as rouowi: 

“The comiise1oners court of any coun.tp nay 

establish, -ainteln, and operate within their 

reapectiva counties, county Sree libraries io 

the iSan&ar and :iith t& Suhatio:;s preaorlbud 

in t!lia sitlts. The 5aid court skull 13130 iiavo 

the posrer xx! autLor:ty to eatdblish in co-o&- 

eration with anotker coluhty or oo~unttea a joint 

free county library ;‘or tL:e bcn*Sit 0S the 

co-oparutlve oouhtiea.” 

Art, 1678 0r aold statute8 ia a5 roii03v5: 

“The ooamiasiocara* court 0r any county i3ag 

eatabliah county Sree libmriea for Wet part 

of such county Lying ou-tsi;lo of the iccorgorated 

oitiea arid towna already ~intalnln~ free publio 

llbrariaa and for auoh additional parta oS auoh 

oountlea as may elect to beoom a part oS or to 

partioipata in auoh oounty free library ayata:x. 

Gn their own ih1tiative, or ahan petitioned to 

do mo by a zaa,Jority OS .tke voters OS that part 

or the oouhty to be airected, Said oourt ahall 

proceed to eatabliah acd provide for tfio -intanahca of mob. library aaoordlc& to tiw furt!:sr 

provielora of this title. The oouiltg library 

am11 bo located at the county seat in the court 

houaa , unless ;lore suitable quarters are avallable .* 

. 
P 

!.: 

‘.. 175 

Lion. hlton 0. Arnold, wee 3 

bst. 1685 or raid 8t8tutee I8 a8 r4im8t 

*The librarian ehall endeavor to give an equ81 

and oornglete service to all parte of the oounty 

thrOu&h brenoh libraries and dspO8it etatlOn8 in 

eohoola and other looatiohe rheru suitable quartare 

may be obtained, thus distributing printed matter, 

booka, end o th or l duaetlonel !antter a8 quiakly ae 

oirowaetencee will permit. The oouhty librarian 

ehell have the power to aaka ruler and re~uletlone 

for th8 county free library, to eetablieh brenohee 

end etatione throughout the oounty, to dotermine 

the numbor end kind oi l mployeee Of euch library, 

end, with the approval of the aom.ieeionere~ oourt, 

to appoint an4 dltiee eueh enployaee. The oounty 

librarian ahell, eubjeot to the generel rules 

adopted by the oomnIeeioners* oourt, build up and 

mmage accordiag to accepted r%lee of library &ma+yiment, a library ror the psoplo 0r tb9 county 

ahd aball determine whet book8 and other library 

equiymcot ehall be purchased.* 

Art. 1687 or said atatutee Is in pert a8 follows: 

*The oounty library shall be under the &eneral 

aupervielon or the oomraieelonare court.” 

Art. 5, Sea, 16, of the Constitution of Texae, povldse 

in part 88 follows; 

a. . .Thd county cozxuieeioners eo cho#en, ivita 

the county judge, aa preaidiug offiocr, cm11 ooiipose the oounty oomieeionere~ oourt, which shall 

cxoroiee such powers end Juriediotion over all 

county bueineee a8 Ie oonferred by thie Couetitutlon and tile i awe or the state, or ee raay hereafter ba preeor1bed.v 

The above quoted provieion of tiio Conetltutior of Taxes 

hee btren oonetrued to mean that the oomieeIonere~ oourt Is a 

aourt of liaited Juriadiotion and her no authority except xioh 

aa is sxpraeely or Implledly given under the Constitution and 

the etetutee. Bland~ v. Orr, 39 Y. #. 55%; 2;~ Parte Theme, 

2 3. ft. [zd) 2701 Madison county v. Uallaoe, 15 3. w, (24) 535. 

Thle rule Is also stated in 11 Tex. Jur., Seaa, 37 an& 

38, pp 564-566, 88 r0il0waa 
ffoa. Altos C. Arnold, page A 

4Co5iuI5eIohere* courts 655 oourtr 0r linitd 

JurIedlatIon, in thst their authority extends 

only to matters pertaining to the general ~eliare 

or their Mspeotive oouhtiee and that their flw4re 

tare only thoed expressly or ispli4dlJ confsmd 

upon the5 by lsw, - that Is, by the oonetitutioa 

and rtetutee or the stats. 

*The jurIsdIotIon of oonkvIeeIonere~ aourte Is 

limitetl to etriotly *county bueineee,~ and the 

legfelaturo he8 no authority to l nlerg4 their 

power* or juriediotIon. 4 attempt to oonrer 

upon the couPt Juriadlotlon 0r a setter rhloh I8 

not *oowty buaIccea* 18 void. aouever, the oounty 

oommIeaIonare~ oourt Is th4 aotlve goreming body 

0r the oou&ty, with a JurIedIotIon the t touohre 

In some respect sheet evd-y feature of the oounty*e 

bu8in488, and t:.e court bee full and cenaral oharGe 

of the business af~aire of the oounty. Th4 power 

of the oourt extends only to euoh bueineee as Is 

entrusted to it by the constitution or by the 

legIela ture ; end th4 legislature nag, LL it 

chooses, comait a netter ot oounty bueimee to 

come agency other than the oomieeionere~ oourt. 

The t4rm loouaty buslnese~ ehould b4 given a 

broaP and liberal conatructiun 80 a8 not to 

defeat the ;urpos48 of the law. .khd It 18 

held that the co~mdeslon~re* oourts have iinplied authority to do what aey be neoeasary In 

t&e axerclee of the duties or powers oouferred 

u,pon thaw, * 

Art, 2351 of V. A. C. 3. provide6 In part as follows: 

Veoh ComiseIon4re~ Court shalli 

“. . . 

“7. Provide and keep in repeir oourthous48, 

jails and all neoeeeary pub110 buildings.* 

Then oan be no question but that, uhder the euthorlty 

or the above quoted statutes, (Arts. 1677 1678, 1685 ena 

1687) the oomaIesIon4re~ aourt aan eetabljeh a county frse 

library st the county seat in thr oourthoueo, unless aore 

l uItabl4 quarters ar4 available. It is also 014er Uat the 

county llbrarien, uudor the gencrral eupervlsion of th4 co%- 

tissio~4re~ oourt, is aur,horized to 4etablfeh branches and 
>“. 177 

!ion. Alton G. Arnold, pago 5 

etstiooa of said llbrarj tJ.woughout the uounty. ft is provided in Art. 1685 that auoh branoh librorios and at&ions 

are to b e l atabUa&ed in l ohoola aad othar looatlona where 

aultebla qtartara may be obtsinrd, whioh, In our opinion 

would inohde bulldin~a constructed by tie oocaalnalMrr8 t 

aourt for l uoh purpom, ff tha eoaatruotlon of ouch hi&dicg beccna oe6aaaary, ae a building oonotruotod ror a Srsnoh 

librery is auoh pub110 building oa la referred to in the 

above quotation from Art. 2351 and ouah as ooaaei within the 

generally aooeptad deflnlnitiona of *publio buildinga*, as 

set out in 34 Ter. Jur., 300. 2, p 2; 

“‘Publlo bulldings’ is o tern ordinari~ 

used to d8afgnate ouoh atruoturesas tko oapitol 

in the oapltol @oMda ot Austin, iaoludl~ the 

dX4iOUtiVd auifLSiOfl, thd QariuU8 stat% dByhGk8, 

oolhtjd of university buildings ereoted by the 

State, courthoueoa and jails end other buildhga 

ildld for publfo uaa by any deyertmnt or brscoh 

OS ~oviirmmnt, state, oounty or mmiaipel. aut 

the word8 zay have a broader or narrower wa,iiifigI 

the statute to be aonetruod and tt6) faota 31 ths 

particular case will be axmined in order to dctarmine whether a pertioular buildLag is o publio 

oue in the oirmmotanoea prusmtedrW 

34 Tax, Jur,, Sea. 8, Q 7 furt&rsr dctfli~ea a yublio 

building aa tollowat 

‘Tb taras ‘pub110 building’ and ‘publio 

grounda,~ wLt2G.u. tht, iaeanin& of tk;uea ;eral 

statutes havd alrendy bedn defined (MO, 2). 

aut socording to the atatute, ‘The ip$oiffo 

enuaera tion, . , ahal, nat exolude other 

buildings not mod, properly ooming within 

the meaning and. deaaription of a ;iublio building. ’ The bulldlnga neadd - as, for dxaa~l8, 

county jails - aro in toma doaiaatad *publio 

buildki~a.’ And any other building would seem 

to ooma within this dsflnitlon provided it is 

properly shown that It la omed or amtrolled 

and hold by pub110 authorftlfio ror publlo we.* 
uoo. Alton 0. Arnold, pago 6 

Them ir no quertlon but thrt 8 branoh library building fr a “pub116 bulldln&’ under raid Rtstuter and ruler, 

therefor@, tha only QW8tiOA 18 whether or not it 18 a "A8QBIsary” publio buildin$. A "Aaoe888ry publio building” 18 one 

that 18 588Onti81 iOr the ~rtiOUlar J3WpOSQ involved, whiah, 

iA thl8 inrtanoa, would br for the QLWQOSS Of a brenoh Of a 

oolmty free 1iblwY. If the 009ari~8iOAes8' oOUl?t i8 Of the 

opinion t&t 8 balidin& ior ~the brinoh fiibrary referred to 18 

l neo e8a a runder y* the80 wlss, th@A it 18 OUT Opi5iOA thst it 

ha8 th8 pow8T to OOS%8tmOt ruoh buildi&&* 

isrl, db &Or 9 Of thr COA8titutiOA 3f %3=8, ia 88 

fO~O?sOl 

"The State tax on prop8rty 8xolurive or 

the tax Asa888ary +n pey the publio debt, and 

OS the tax58 provided for tha bencflt of tha 

publio tree 80h0018, &ml1 ABQR~ exwmd thirtyrite oents on i&a or.6 fiundrsd dollerv v~luntioc~ 

ttAd no oou.Aty, oity or tow shall levy more than 

twmprive cents for aity or oounty purpooaea, 

end not eroeed,ing fifteen osnts for roada and 

brldgss, and not exoecrdlm fifteen oente to pay 

Jurors, on the one humlred dollar8 valuatton, 

sxospt for thr payment of debt8 inourred prior 

to the adoption of the amentieent &ptambar 25th, 

1883~ and for the ereotiw of pub110 buildfn~e, 

etrsets, se$wra, weter work8 and othar jsransnt iJnpI-3oeIilwltr, not to exceed twsnty-five 

oentn on thb oas hundred dollar8 valuation, Ln 

any one gear, and exaept be ir in this Conatitutlon otsarwise provldod 

imy al80 authorito an add 1 

and the Legislatulr, 

tional aMua1 a4 

valoresl t6l to be levied and oollsoted for the 

further maintenanos of thr pubifo roads; proridad, thet 8 majority or the gwiri66 property 

tax-paging vcitar8 0r the oounty voting at an 

sleotlon to be held for that purpose shall vote 

#UO~ tax, AOt t0 eXOeed fiftWA NAtI on the one 

hundred dollar8 veluetlen of the property aubjeot 

t0 t8XatiOA iA 8UQh OOUAty. And the Legi8latUXe 

rasp pssa looal lanr ror the ~aLatenano0 of the 

publio road5 and highwayr, without thr losal 

notiae required for spolal or looal lawa.’ 
179 

Hon. Alton 0. ~nold, page 7 

Art, 2352, V. A. C. S., ia 88 follow8~ 

%&id oourt rhall here t3e power to levy 

and oollaat B tax for oountg pUl’~BcI8, AOt to 

azoaad twenty-file Cant8 on the On4 hundred 

dollars valuation, and a tax not to sxoaed 

fifteen cant8 on the one hundred dollars valuation to ruppleaent the Jury fund of the OOuAtp, 

and AOt to axoead fift44A cants for road8 end 

brid&a8 on the one hundred dollars valuation, 

except iOr the payment Of debt8 inournd p.rl~r 

to the adoption Or the MNdSk4At Or th4 COiI8LitutlOQ, Sf#ptOt&er 25, A. ih 1883, aAd for the 

ereotion of publfo buildingr, rtroat8, 8awar8, 

water works and other permanent iaproremente, 

50% t0 exoaad tWeDCg-file OaAt8 on the one 

hundrad dollars V8luatiOA iA any one year, 4Ad 

except a8 in the Con8titutioa otherwise provided. 

They asy levy an additional tax for ro8d purposes Aot to exoeed fifteen cents on the hA4 

hundred dollar valuetion of the property 

subjeot to taxation, under the linitatlons and 

in the manner provided for In Article 8, Sao, 9, 

of the Constitutior and in pursuance of the 

113~8 relating thereto.” 

The last above cuotad provisions of tka Constitution 

of Texs8 aAd of the etatuta referred to authorize the Cotisslouera’ Court to levy taxe8 for the eraotion of pub110 buildiW8, 6traet8, oawars, naber rorke, ana otbr yoraanent lr3- 

gmwaraantrr not to exoaad twar,ty-five aentr on the oA4 ;lundrtld 

dollars valuation, tha,fund oreated thereby being generally 

referred to a8 the Peraanant Improveslant fund, You are 

advised, therefore, that if the oanmissioners~ oourt is of 

the opinion a building should be oonetruoted for the branoh 

library reiarrad to, it haa the pwer to levy a tax aa a 

part of the Pemanant It4prolement ?uad in order to 880~8 

fund8 with whloh to do 80, said levy to be a part of the 

tW%AtY-riV4 cant8 on the one hundred dOllor valuation authorized by Irt. 8, Sao. 9 0r the Constitution and art. 2352 

of the Civil Litatutaa; or, ii there should be on hand any 

fund4 Ln said Peraanent Inprovaolant Fund that have bean levied 

and oollaoted without having bean apaoifiad for any partloular 

parnanent ltnprovanent, then the oomini88iotlera~ oourt haa the 

authority to use suoh fUAd8 in the oonstruotion Of 8UOh bulldLng. Suoh buildin& cannot be paid for fro= any ooiLnty fund8 

Other than the r"smsnant Improvement Fund, and the aiaount that 

OaA b8 80 Used iA within the di~Or%tiOA Of the oomaiaahxlrs~ 

oourt. The right to oon8truot 8uoh building, howtier, I8 

further lfnlted by the pro~iaio~r of the oorrnty budget lea 

08 follows; 
zon. Alton C. Amold, page 8 

Art. 669a-9, V. A. 0, S., sovidar for the making sf 

the oounty budget, ana Art. 689a- L! proforiallr bhet no rrponditurer or the funds or tie o o ulltl hall y thereaftat be ma0 

taco@ in atriot oonpllanae with the budget (18 adopted by th6 

Oourt 6 It la furth%r grorldcd that amergenop l rimalturos, 

IA aaae of gravu i,Ublla neoesrIty, to meat ummua~ ana .uroraaeen oonditiona whlah could not, by reasonably dillgent thou&t 

and attentloo, have been lnnaluded In the original budget Maey 

frost tim to tims be aUthOriz8d by tAo 00urt ar &nenbaenta 

to the original buidget. Thereion, it la our opinion that, 

even if there are funds on hand in the Partsanant Improremnt 

Buna whiah aould be used to eonrtruat ruoh building under tha 

ruler or law haniaabova rar‘errad to, such funds aamat now 

bs used for ths oonstruotion of Said ~,Uildia& unL%s# aam 

were included in the county budget, .3r them now Oxintl 

the igave gublia r;eceesity eWve defined, authorizing the 

oounty budget to be enended 80 aa to Lnoludr r*u&r for said 

bullding, wsioh is for the $oter&natlon or the oonilkLsaior.em* 

oourt, In the event it beaoma aroeseary to levy 83 tax ror 

tho purgoee 31 conotructi~~ said bulldiilq,, said it&m 8:louJ.d 

bd included fn tAe oounty bu&pt. 

3s trust that thie setlaieotorlly answera your inquiry . 

Yours very truly )