OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY OENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 
to k SOlA rmlirt rlloatr a81 mB.4 b th.8. r.. 

1l.f rllantr ior the pPr@haro of rooda, she mo8.y 

nrolroa f?a the aal. 02 l w to Bo plao.4 

krt lato the fund for the )onhuo of mom rtrpr , 

ana SO on. 

'2. An qvount to wet dl tA0 uporuu 

ot opordi 

“g 

the o r fir~e CW th0 l0 l i r tup r , 

lmludlzq t l r a lr r y ot ouAlor and 8mlrtmt, 

oat or off la* mqulpa~nt, utllitlu, nntsls 

. and other l xpoaaoa, whioh l l neoa uaro retl- 

&to& l t fra $250.00 to $33.00 pu moatA. 

“In the wont tho Oity ot 08lnorvllb weor 

to pay onehrlf or l ll oxpearo8 iaourrod, laoh.umg th0 80ttin(: up or th0 nrohiq fund, 

your opinion 18 di8lr.a 88 to *otmr, rnaa 

tho above uatlonod l i?omatiaooe, thrra lr w 

ulthorlty tor l o ttlngp & cut of t&o @arm1 tpad 

ot tho oountr, the oountq's put ot thio #oorlm *ruoitlry r8m.d’ -4 for root- th0 

oOUleJ'8 prt of tA0 ddltload o-m808 of 

opratlng the ottlao tar thr #alo or rtupr, 

ti80 0~8 0r th0 terra fbd ia th0 aho 0r th0 

lrot that th- oondition of tbo gonoml~‘iuad la 

mob that it will l hou UI onrdrdt o? qproxir.toly U2,OOO.OO at the en6 of tA0 pro80118 

rear Daoubor 318t, 1941, without taking into 

oonridor8tlon tho rottily up ot the rorolvlag 

rud or tho l dbitioad rxponre or ogarrtla# the 

8tu 881 0 0m00 l ti Is V~OW 0r th0 f80t th8t 

nolt t u o f th a w ita m. wuo pro vl~o a to ? in the 

budgot. 

“If your l mor to tA0 *born l8 that tAo 

itus roatloaod 8ro 8 propor olmr#o qrinrt thr 

gonrrrl ruad of oho l ouatr, your opl8oa la dorind a8 to dothor the u8A tar l ttb& \IP tho 

r~~i+i~ funa 8nd r0r uettia6 th0 8wti0n3. 

l x p uis.8 o i opor d.lntAg * 8 

-3 

r slo o til*o 88x 

be rovldod br the lr8um.e @n rtia of -t8, 

tx P a uy 0tAor suaor, and ii wsmsats rhould 

bo ir#wb, how a d8kin( mtd rq k 8.t Up iOr 

rotlrlag ouoh wuvuta 
“?e th0 hat tAro0 7OUS 0-o Oout~ hu 

l polrSWOd Wht i8 8UB.d 8 ‘&OSlth U&t’ 8&U 

U8it briocl; 0 ZUtO$ jOi8tw b th@ hit@& &at08 

PuAllr Hod tr 8orvl.0, 6tato i l ~artamt o? Eoalth, 

ua Cooke COW&~. -8 1.08 buQ.8 met u ma8 to? 

o-total oi $1.),281.25 ~lotrlbuto~ u ?o E 01s: 

‘Stat0 moo 00 

Labal (Cook0 00. & Oltr a? 

0&iOSV11b) 

u. s. P. H. s, (title 6) %ici 2 

U. 8. P. 8. S. (V. D.) 12CCoC ' 

Othor &OaOiOS 1050 00 #13,281.25 

Vho dlrioloa of tho looal put o? tAe buQot 

ktl0.E th. city O? 0OiIUSV1110 Md (loOk COUntf 

US8 OS ?OllOUSl 

wty or raa0Otli10 $a00 00 

Cooka UoUat7 *2611 w31 25 

r tl rX. p a ndituby rthe m8 COW%ty 88Oh aonth 

al’0 88 ?011OU8: 

“88hr~ O? xOOl8h &~~80$~00 w 

8alery 0r 88dtorlaa 50 00 

S&q o? Clark .AuK u75 w 

"&I 8dditlOn t0 ii&~ l MWO l XpOIIditWOS, thOn 

i. an itr in tAa oount~"fi PX't oi the brrdaot 

rhloh lr eallod a @oontln&ont funa’, tho uowat 

d rbloh IO 4531.25. TAO dlrootor ot the looal 

health Ualt l lolmm tho rl#ht to uk0 ptmhO808, 

Ma dO.8 88kO ~llFoh8OoS uoh month, Out o? thir 

oontiqront rund, rlthout w ?urthrr ardor ?rcr 

the ~~881OllUO’ aolut or 8&O COun8~ Auditor, 

ol8iming that tho ardor o? tho cOUi88iOU*r8’ 

Court SOttill# up tho ?uad i8 l uthorltr ?or hir 

to aeko ruoh puohaob8 .I ho oh00008 aad read 

bills to tho cori8OiOnOr8' tiWt for pa-t, 

8nd tA8t the Auditor mU8t l ppr OvO,SUOblllm h md 

8hO cd88iOnUS’ COW8 nU8t PUS thhr ?Or parmt. 

“Your o&dldOn 18 dmOlr@4 88 80 rbrothor 

thU0 $8 8ar authorltr ?Or mOOtirr(l th0 

"p 

UU.8 

of the oounty*s put OS oporatiw the hu th 
Uit 88 4OSUib.d SbOVO with Sp~~rl8ticM I’?08 

tb -or&l fund of t&r l omty, d *Lut&u thora 

18 mf l otharltr for provldlaa l l oatlryat fund 

suoh 88 has b o wl so t up l nd for tho dl8hu8i4 of 

rail l oatlauoat *a4 la thwaaor la rhioh it 18 

a* aonr. 

TOW fUrthOr OpiBiOB 18 4@81r04 88 t0 

WhOthOr thUe 18 any SUthOrity for the payWnt 

Of Sdarior of tho follml~ olaso of WOrk8rS 

and iOr rOntal8 on the tollowlnd doaoribod building8, Out O? th0 gO#JOti rUnd Of th0 OOUntrl 

w8tanogrq3her8 or olrrb ror 014 O&o as- 8iStM.O OfflOO. 

rStoaOgrOQhor8 or 018rlrs ior loaal Teur 

8tato plplopnt 0fri00. 

"8taographor8 or alukr undu tho Pubu0 uaru0 A0t 0r 19~. 

"Rental on bullding iOod a8 8 I.P.A. Sonlng rowi. 

*Rental on building ll804 88 8 COmaiodity 

Room. 

@itWLt81 021 h8u US.4 88 MOtin(: p1.00 rOr 

.tho loo81 Bapo Doion Ou~rd. 

"EUWl oa building USO~ as A.A.A. or~loo.* 

Artlolr 2351-17, Oornoa’s Aanotatod Clvll Stqtutor, 

(HOUS. Bill NO. 201, A&# of tho 47th L0~i0l.8~0, 19W, 

8ogUlar ~08010E) 0mpOW0r8 th0 OMBi88108U8’ OOUrt Of l Ooh 

oountr 0r this Stat0 to oruto 0 romlvi~ t or fu.nds 

ud to mak0 l ppropr ia tithoroto o a s Out o? tho @nONI x'OTl a uo oi arid oounty to bo us04 by ~81~ eount~ in oooporstlon 

with thO Unltod St8tor DOputuat oi A 

r 

loulturo to al4 ad 

aO.iSt ia #-iBe Out th0 pU?F#aO8 M pl’OVi81C#U Of SB 

Aot or Colyrr8 0r tho Unit04 States pertaining to thr dirtrlbutloa Of OOiQlobith8 Oi QUSOnO in nood Of l SSi8taBO0, 

UndU th0 6irOOtiOB 'Of the Ulk1t.d 6tataS bpU%WIIt Of A&- 

au1ture. When any oounty exoroiror the power8 Braat br thr 

l bwo l&8lltiOn8d rt8tUt0, 8Il 188tting O?fiOO? 8h8= bo l P- 

‘1 

olntrd to osrrf out thO prwlsloru of tho Aot and to l 4ml.e 

8tU tha fUUd8 apprOpriat8d iOr 8uOh 9W?O808. TAO 8tatuto 
8088 rO?tb 8hO ~qUaufi88u OU 0f th0 i88U 

%o 

l ??iOU Sti 

pmvl40, that him 881Uf ddl not OXOOOd .oo )O? month 

Ud that OSSbiOrS 8Zid 08hSr 8SSiStOStO 88 w k WhOriSOa 

wta, So~rt uf bo upl0f.d. niS 8tatutO ti.ro l UthOlhS8 

tho aomloalonars* oourt or rl~~ oasatr to oooperato with 

w lnoorporsted olty or town la l uoh oouaty on mu& ooldltlom aad roqulruanta 08 mar k prCadgOte4 br l UOA oOII 

81.810~0’ mirt . 

IOU s~S l dtlud that the oouatr UT log3l.y pmtlolpote In tho Unitad Statea Gor8rnmant r00d Stmp Plaa 

umlor tho prorlalam or tha 8bmr l ontlonod l totuto. The 

gdly fuad out Of wAleA “St(19w”, 88 aboro untiOM&, M8l bo 

purahS8od, or 0 I-OYO~V~IUJ fuad sot up, is tho gonor fund 

or tho oount~. 8OStiO8 7, ArtloLo XI or tAa state coaatltotion, inhibits the ox’UtiO8 of a4 kind of a "debt," 88 

umt word is 40ria0a la the OS80 or Idox08.l t, city 0s Waoo, 

33 8. U. 322, by the Suproo* Court of Toxas, wun~088 prwl- 

*loll i. mad0 at the tie, or Ol'S8tiS& tho 86mO for 1O~lng 

md 00llootl6g a l ufil010nt tu to pay tho lntonat thuoon 

l od pPOV%dS 8t 1888t tm, QU O@St SS 8 81SkiS~ Ipld.* (S.0. 

7, Art. ll, &ate Conatitutloa). The word wdobtm 18 dorinrd 

in the uOHoSi SS80, SUpI%, S8 fOihWO1 

“u0 OOSOiUdO that th8 Uod ‘dOb8’ SO U8Od 

in th0 sonatltutiorml rovlol68 abooto qucrtod, 

&MS aal poounlarr ob P tation irpoaod by oontr6ot, aoopt 8uoh as uuo, 6t tho 40t0 or the 

ormtnot, within tha l8uful ma rmi#onSblo ooatOBpiO8iO8 Of t&O POrtiOS, t0 b0 888iSfiOd OUt 

or ths ourront rovOaua8 for the flsr, or out or 

aomo fund thoa within $Ao LPudIatO oOnt?ol Of 

th* oorporatlon." 

TAla dopartmont hu rorulStontl$ hold tA6t a oountf 

omnot ooatroot l uoh 0 %obtm ura luuo l lthOr bonds or 

tirr wuroe8 to pay tho 0-0 out 0s th8 ~SSUS~ rona or 

the oantr, This dojtartmont ho ~lro oaoiatont~ hold that 

0 oountr his no l uthorltr to borrow monw rr0r its dapoaitorr 

Or any other bank or porron to mot oaoual 4etl~loaoloa in 

Its goaoral fund althou* thora will ba 8uSSioIont rmr~ In 

ml4 fund uhon ourroat turns l o l ollootod. 
xonor8blo 11. A. Yoxlrrth - PO@* 6 

Although fou stats 'the wadltlom of the ~~onl 

funA 10 l uoh that lt dll r h o w u o r tifi l t l 

412,000.OO at tha rsd ot tho )roomt $'mr DIorba 31, 1 

mltkout toklu into ocoolAoratlo8 tho ret&g u ot the ro- ' 

rolrlng tu8A or the eAAllbno1 l xponoo ot oporat P a6 the 

otup l alo ottloo . . .“ it lo not chara that br oottily 

9 tho rovolrln(l tumi and proriding tor tho aeooooaq oparatlng oxparer ot uld plaa that the amunto 00 rrqulrod 

wo uld l xooui the amount ot ourront reveauao roooonobly oontomplato& by tho bouatr. It the Sundua o l talkable, the 

nrolrla( fuad and the zmoeooar7 oprating l xpmoo~ oaa ba 

sot up out ot thr &oaoral fund, or if no fu&o nre 8tLiloblo 

axid the amount requlrod doer not OXOMA the lrount of ourrmnt 

r~rmwo roasombly l x pro tor o d oontrrplrt~ by the oountf, 

ordinary ruronto mhy be loouod tOr #a auto. 

No uo l aolool 

*hioh holAo that the a la 

0 oopy ot our opinion mo. O-340 

l olonuo* oourt ur py the bona 

pmalu8 ot the laoulng offioor under Art1910 2 5 -15, l ugrr,. 

Nlth rotrronoa to sour qurotloi?‘~~lotlrr to t&o 

oouaty "health unit” wa are ,nolooln$ l oop~ of our Opinion 

No. O-2281 for your 16formotion. Artlolo &+16-t, Vmmon'o 

Aanotated aid1 Statutes, provider in port, %hr omlodoadro’ oourt of on7 eountr ohall hove the autborlty to 

9proprloto and expond moner troll the gonor r~vmnueo ot 

lto oouatr lo? on6 ln behalf OS public hoolth and sonltotlon 

dthln 1to l aulltJr.~ 

Artlolo 1659, Yornon’r Annotated Clrll Statutes, 

among other thlngo, protldeo: 

W~ppllro or l rorr kind rad rnd.krld60 

matulal, or ant other matitrriol, tor the uoo ot 

said oounty, or any of it.8 otrlooro, Aoputmonto, * 

a lnotltutlozu must bo prrohaood on ooaprtltlr~ 

bids, the aontraat to bo l mrdod to the pcrty 

who, in the judgnant ot thr oomloolonero oourt, 

~IBO oubmltted the lowest and boot bid. . . Xn 

o a ooo o i o mer 6eno , p ur a h o o ~o no t la l xo *oo o f 

one hundred sad f 1 it7 dollars JMY bo MAO upon 

roqtioitlon to ba apgrorod w the oomi.orionoro 

ocnart, without adrertlolng,ior ocmpetitlra blUo.W 

Art1010 1660, VI)I~OIL'O AnnototOd Ci~ll. Qtptuwo, 

-0g oth*r tuwr, prldeo that *no OhiM shall b* dl~~*d 
i 

xonu~blo P. A. YONlr~ah - rue 7 

or a id u8Ul it h o 0 b o w rrrr ir ed a nd l pproro4 by the l mntr 

maA P tar.’ 

The ~rtloo ot th, ocuaty l udltor ore turthar prol orlboA br Art1010 1661, Vomon'o A8notot.A Qlrll Btotutoo, 

rhieh road as tollornt 

=No ohall not audit or l pprotr say l wh 

olair unlroo it has bran ooatr~~@toA as prorlAoA 

% 

low, nor 

p es or mot 3 

l 000m ror th0 p~r0h~ 0t sup- 

-ala tor the uoo or salA oouat~ 

QD any oi lto otflooro, unlooo, in addition to 

othrr roqulramato ot low, tbore lo l ttmhod 

tbroto o nquloltlon ol6~oA br tha ortlorr orAorlng @a~ and approrod br UI@ oounty udge. 

Sal& roquloltlon mot br MA@ out and a i gnul 

enA l p 

the trr 

wod in trlpllomto 

P 

th0 l dd 0rfl0u0, 

pliooto to raaoln wit the etrlaor deolrlmg thr purohaoo, t ho Aupllwt6 to bo ills& with 

tho oountr auditor, and the orlglnml to bo Aollitu.6 to the pat7 trom ~&on rdd purahmoo lo 

to b@ MA* botora w pprtie08 obrill be ma&~. 

All wuronto oa the ocuatr treaouror, rxorpt 

warrants for jury eUYlO8, must be ocunteraignod 

br thr oountr auditor." 

Sootion 10, Artlolr 2351, Vernon*8 Annotated Civil 

Statutro, provldoo oaoh oomaioolonrrs~ owrt shall "oudlt 

on6 l ottlo oil l ooo unto o¬ tho oountr and dlroot tholr 

payment. * 

Wo find no authority, l lthor oxprooooA~~or irpliod, 

l uthorlzlnq tlio aamloolonorol oourt to 08t pp a *oontlryent 

itmu,* as rbo'vr mntloned, and in the obsanoo of l uoh l uthorltr, 

the oomloolonuo~ oourt oaanot logoI ly sot UQ ru&~ fumI. 

liuoovu, said ouurt may appropriate and expand roney fro8 tha 

6enual rovontmo ot the oount~ for and I.E b&&r of p~bl10 

hoolth and ooiltotlm within tho ocuntp es authorltod br Artlolr &Ale-t, olqra. mAoh l xpondlturro to CO Eiado in oollplluw 

dth the above mentlo al tetuteo, r d on& to k ollow.6 and a~- 

prorod w tho oaam.loolonero* oourt ond the oountr auditor, and 

ln tha l iont t&m ocunty does not hmo l oountf oudltor, tin 

l omo to be pooooA upon, allOwA&, anA l pprored by tha od@- 

l lon*ro* oourt. 

10 now oonoldor JOUF third quo@tiOn rmletlro t0 

the l uthorltr of the oamlsoloao~ rourt roeu6~ the pamnt8 
‘< , 

et l o lo r loo o t tha l looo ot workers mn.4 thoroi~ afi tar 

roatalo o&tho klldinp AomriboA, ~tOftho/.nor3 fuaA 

ottho l auat .Thl a orriooioarro~ court lo aotw~UooSao& 

to paf root@ I oa l bullbi Thqluo o owa6~r16.6 tis oY a u0.a s ao6 m8 oo to the A.A.A

aa a o h lo l no looo A. The 

to py tho nntal on l halldin@ us* aa a uati8g plroo for 

the lood llama Dotons. OuuA aa pr0tiA.A w Artl.10 569b, 

Vernon’s Annotated Qlril 6tmtut.o. Tbo wemioolo8uo’ l aut 

lo logalll l uthoriaoA to pay tho rant4 on a bullAiq uwA 80 

l U.P.1. Sowi* Rw.onA on l build yo d a 0 l c mltl 

Roar. SOS our Conforonor Oplnlon 099, l oopr of whiah is 

onoloooA herewith. The ~uootlon, aethu th ~oolonuo’ 

court has ruthorlt to ~pproprloto url l xpnl ooumtr tuxkio for 

the purpoo~ ot pq L tho omlulrr of *tan opphero or oluko 

for a *loml Tuoo Stoto Llplomnt Ottloo •otoaagr~phoro 01: 

l luko undu the Publie WolforoAot af 19U mnA 8otoa~ra hors 

or l lork8 for Old A(0 Aooiotaaoo Orflria io 801 botora th P 0 

Aoputmont, whloh lo prooontd I8 onothor opinion rwpot 

and do n anoworod we will bo glad to eonA y o u a l o p y o f the 

sue it $0~ still Aoolro &a l nowu to ;lour quootlono ro6or6iria 

the Sam.. 

Truotlng tho toro g o la g ltowaro roux laqulrt, w uo 

Yours tory ttulf 

APPROVEDOoT18 19U v 

Orwor 8ollorO )a/ 1IrA.U !%UluS 

PIRST AN8ISTANT Aoolotmt 

ATTORRRY GEmAL