Honorable L. L. Roberts

ChmntyAuUitor Hzt0bfnmsonCounty Stimett , Texas

Dear Sfrr Opinion Runber o-5223 Rer Whether moneys in county lateral road fund maybe invested in obligations of the United States of America. Wehave received your letter of April 14, 1943, in which $a~ ask the opinion of this department upon the following queatlon:

'%oes the County have legal authority to invtist money I.XI the Lateral Road Fund of the County ih 'United States of Amarias y/8 Percent l?easury Certifioates of Indebtedness of Series B-1944', or other U. 3. bonds?"

- . Article 6674Q-8 (c), Vernon's Annotated Civil Statutes, provf8eu as follows:

"It shall be unlawful for any county judge or any county commissioner, while sating in his offialal capaolty or otherwfse, to usesany money out of the lateral road acoount for any pqose exoept the purposes enumerated in this Act. If a7kycounty judge or any aounty commissioner shall knowingly expend or use, or vote for the use 

### oragreeto expend or use any sumof money

### aocruingto any county in this state from the lateral road accounts, for~any $rupose not authorleed-~bj this Act, or shall knowingly makeany false statement aoncieimfng the expenditure of any such money, he shall be deemed guilty of a felony andupon conviction shall be punished by c:oEfinement in the Stbte Penitentiary for not leas than two (2) years nor more than five (5) 'gears."RonoPable L. L. Roberts, page 2 (O-5223)

OnOctober 15, 1942, this depar’&uent i% Opi~~iox:Y!o. O4906 ruled that, in view of Art.‘Lole 66788-8(a), mon@yfn ‘t*.:~ lateral road fund of a ootmty maynot be l&vested in*,‘~CkC%& 3ksks War Savings Bonds. Unless our statutes have bsea okanged, wePX-Z: hold that the m3.e of law ~0~Oea In opinion ~o;c-%m5 fs epplicable to yoznequestion and compels a negatfve amwc(qnr,

The Forty-eighth Legislature, now iarae,as5z0 pale& Smate Bfll No. 199, which bill was approved by the G~VSYZXJP 0~~ .Ap%Z 12, 1943. Section 1 of Senate Bill.Ho. 199 awb~m%wxd%a fnvestmenti of State funds in obligations of the Usait~~C&%a~%~ u:&Y? certain condftions e Section 2 of said bill applies to ,$?mpoll-Z-,f@al subdivfsions of the State and provides as follows!

“That any polltloal subdivialon of the 3ta’ts of Texas which heretofore has issued and sold bonds am? fs ?.~a:??& to obtain labor and materials ‘to oarry out the pi-xose for which the bonds were issued mayinvest the psocesc”.s of sz!r.oh bonds nowon hand ln deferis& bonds OSotkcuz? 05lfga’kLe.ux;“~s

ofthe Unftea States of America; prbvided, kloweve~~%&I% V&Y:.- ever war time or any other 

### regulationsshall perz~II% sula11 polftical subdivisions to aaquire the necessagg 1aSoc and materials, the obligations of the United Stats6 tiU?&&ah said proceeds are invested shall be sold or redeemed.and the proaeeds of said obligations 6hal.J. be used for %kmp~u?pose for whleh the bonds of sragauoh polltical sube?ivlsLous w~zw authorir;ed. ” You will notioe that Section 2 iarlimited &I?. scope to the ppoceeda of bonds which have heretofore been issued bnt w%L~k proceeds can not be used to oa%rf out the p!z??pBsefey wbieh the bonds were Issued because of laok of mater4ala and labor. Setitlon~2, therefore, does not 

### affectthe situatiion under oonsP&%%i-Bon, nor floes it ohange the principles of law amoun%ed In Opfaio~ %z. 0-@Xk You are, thcwefo~e, respectfu19y advised that yap q$esXan fs amwersd in the negat,ive.

A copy OPOpinion No. O-4906 is herewLth enclose&. very truly yours ATTORIQZY

GElQ!EAL

OF‘TECA3

GWS-s Rncl, By /s/ George W. Sparks

~~~~~~~~~~lg43 George W. Sparks Assistant APPROVED

OPINION co!4BwPTEE ATTORNEY

@ENEfUL