OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Xonorairle R. i.. krzif3trong 

County Auditor, Tom Green County 

San Angelo, Texas 

Dear Sir: Opinion Ho. O-4042 

Your roqueat for aa opi &ii-& thir depart .bb.$?read. 

In part: 

*The Comakmloner6* 

the purpose of 

suoh lmprbvo~ 

doa a6 to the 

our0 to suboaaty parka and to 

on suah lot6 for the 

0te or 8ourlet0, the 

rty to aoerue to the oredit 

It has alao been ruegoat- 

&t bo sold to lndlridualo 

"3x1 an effort to advise the Commiesioaers* Court 

properly aa to their authority regarding thee* 

expenditures, I w%sh to aertif'y the rollowing 

quest ion0 : 

“i.&eetiOIl NG. 1. Does the oountg have authority, 

in conmotion with the irnprorammt of oouuty parka, 

to oonstruct or purohaso elre,adr ooneitruetod oabim 
Honorable 8. L. AnnstrOng, Page 2 

or oottagefs, and furnish, maintain, and operata 

suoh oablae and oottages for the purpoee of rentln,g or leealn& the sane to vaoatlonistr and 

tourletrl 

"Question No. 2. Does the oounty have authority 

to l abiilvlde a oounty park and eel1 or lease lota 

to lndlvlduale for the purpose of emoting summer 

aottfigal9 

~Questloa No. 3. Doeo the oounty have authority 

to expend oouaty ruads ror park lmproveme~ts to 

be emoted on land not omed outright by the @ounty, 

but held undo? a leame ooatraotPW 

Artlol~ 6678, Veruoa'8 Annotated Girl& Statutea, rsadsr 

"faoh Comaim~lonsn~ Court lr authorized to levy 

and oolleat a tai'm+fo exceed five (5) aeat@ 

on @action@ hundred dollars aneessed valuation 

of the oountg for the purohaee and improvmwnt of 

laudr ror u8e ao ootmt~ parks. Ho ouoh tar @hall 

be levied and oolleotrd until th; properltlon la 

submitted to and r&filed br thi prcppetiy taxpaylnc; 

voters oi the oounfy ate a general or sg~ola2 oleotlon called for that purpmr, provided, a two-third8 

majority or th@ propstiy taxpaying voters or mneh 

oount& at au eleot.ion held for mob purpoc~e &all 

drterialae la favor of 8aid tax. fr mid oourt de- ‘ 

aire to astebli8h twe or mom or auoh oouaty parkr, 

they ahall loaate them in widely separated pwtlon~ 

OS the oountJr. Said oourt #hall have iuU pmrer 

and control over any and all such parka and may 

1~ aad oolleot an anaual tax ruffiolent in their 

$&gmut to properly mal&%tala suoh parks and build 

and oonntruot pavllfonr and awh other bulldlugrr a6 

they may deem necessary, lay out and open driveway8 

and walko, pave the same or any part theroof, #et ' 

out tress and rhubbery, oonstruot ditches or laker, 

and make suoh other lnprovements as they may deem 

Suoh parka shall remain open for the Oreo 

~~p~~*the publlo under ruoh rearoaablr nilecl Wd 

rmgtiatlona aa said oourQ mq pre~orlb~. 
Hoaorable R. I.. Awstroag, pa@ 3 

?34at10n 2. All park6 l oqulred by authority ol 

thlr Aot shall be under the oontrol and manage- 

-ment or the county aoqulrlng the same, provided 

that the Oo.mmlssloner8 Court may by agreement 

with the State Parka Board turn the land over to 

the State Park8 Board to be opernted a8 a pub110 

park; the expense of the improvement and operation of suoh park to be paid by the oounty and/or 

oooperatlre Federal agenoles aooordi:T.g to the 

a&ree:nent to be mads between suoh oounty and 

the State Park8 Board.W 

We hold in our Opinion I?o.O-905 that a oounty oould 

build or purohaae a baseball rtadlum to be uead a8 a part ot 

R oounty's park eysten. 

We bellove that portion of the above quoted artlole 

reading1 n* * * and build and oon8truot parllloas and suoh 

other building8 a8 they may deem nocaarary * * ** and ** * * 

make suoh other lmprovamente as thay may deen proper * * ** 

rests in the Oomml8slowr8 * Court the authority to oonstruot 

or puroha8e oabla8 and to operate the 8tuue a8 a part oi the 

oounty park 8ystem. Your rirst quaetfon 18 annrarea in the 

arrirmatlte. 

Countle8 being oosiponant par88 ot the State, have no 

power8 or butler8 except those oleuly set forth and derlned 

in the Conetitutloa and statutes. The statutes of Texa8 have 

eleuly defined powe.r8, preeorlbed ths duties and imposed the 

llabllltlc8 or the oommlsaloner81 00~1%~ the medlun through 

whioh the different oountiee act. and from those statutes met 

oome all the authority vested in-the oountfes. 

Y. Jennfnizo, 33 S. 8. 585; arrinnee, 35 s. W. 

Ndwardr Count2 

1033. 

The above quoted statute rurnl8he8 no authority to tha 

oommlaslonera* oourt to eubdlvlae a county park ror the purpose 

of selling or leasing lot8 theroln nor to expend oounty fund8 tar 

park purposes on land not owned by tho oouaty. Your 8eoond and 

third questions are answered in the negative. 

Youre very truly 

A7!TO~YGJWE%AL OP TEXAS