., 178 

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

QROVER SELLERS 

ArrORHcY QKNNLR*L 

Honorabla H. Pet Xdbwdr 

Civil DIrtrio Attorney 

Dallar Uountf 

Dallas, Texa8 

ATTBmzOllr Eonorehle wsmn 8. Qook, 

A~lriotent Mrtriet Attoner 

n 

Dear Sir8 

We hate reaeivod 

1946, relative to the 

for the very able bri 

It was oi great he1 

qusetlons. 

rise the faotr ad 

inroad bonds for the 

n pub110 roads rlld 

lng rights-of-wep 

r State and Federal Highways 

In said Oountp, end eoqubing 

ounty roads now or to bo here+ 

The elsotlon order llated 

soosedr of the 

ing parsgraph 

muoh a8 the Olty or Dallaa haa reoently 

extended its aorporets 15mit8 oonsiderabl 

nweroulr towns have bean inonrporated, w hP 

and also 

oh inoludo 

muoh ot the Improvement8 l terted by Dallas County the 

Co~ty ia In doubt 88 to ita authority to expend &hla 

bond money within the limits Of the BUlniOip~litie8. 

WCYe,~~~-$herefors, 8hall rppreolete your opinion at ycur 

earliest oonvenlenoe.* 
Eon, ?l. Pat Edwards - Pap 2 

179’ *. 

The quo&Am8 rhloh you waut this departmmt to armwmlf are 

a8 ;tollow8r 

1. DQM a oouaty have the legal right to roqulro prtqerty 

In an inoorporated town or oity far rtate highway purpooor by 

oondemnrtlon? 

2. Does a oaktO hate thi legal rig&% to 6oqairo property 

in an lnoerporated tmm or oity ?or 8tato highmy prtrpooer br 

purohru? 

3. If the answer to either o? the rbove que88lon8 18 in 

the o??lrmtlre, om tho 008t thereo? be paid aut o? the prooeedo 

of the road beads aontilononsd in tho waoldt parqrap h? 

4.’ I? qur8tioa 3 18 an8nrl*d in the aegatlve, what oountr 

?ulldr Em3 tw 8a owu? 

Thir departmeat had qtiostlon 1 before It in a reoon8 opinion, 

o? which 18 herewith onolosed. ~~rrod 

qPe6tlon ir answered In the negative. 

T~nisg HOW to geur 8eoond quutlon, It la a general propoaftlon of law that the jmledl~tlon 8ab omtrol over the r8mek of 

a tia a oorpor ao itt8p Q or to m Is l xelaslnl~ in that oity Or town. 

Artloles 1016 1066, 1201, and 1202, V. A. 0. 8. However UQQ~ 

this mesa thai the oousty under its general power to e&s&i8h 

6ad maintain oounby roads till aever have the authorltp to eon8truot or impr~vo reads wlthln the llmlta o? a muniolpal oorporrtlon? Wo think that the oosu hold otherwlse. 

Artlolb 6703, V. A, 0. B., glror the otxmi8sl0nera* oourt 

authority and control over the county road8 end al.1 8treats and 

alley8 ia oltirr and inoorporeted towns rhloh have no de faoto 

munioipal gov~rnmeat 5.n tho aotlte disohargq o? their oifiolal 

dntler. 

In the l rrly OHM o? Bate vr SOEWII, 18 ‘hr. S7l, (I oa8e 

firmly eatablirhed and olted m6nt tlaea, the Bapreme Court adopted 

the oplaion of ahe lower ootart, uhloh in dealing Prlth oountg mad8 

in inoorporeted &tie* .etated, in pertr 

*rr.untilthe tovm oounolla~~r under tkm authorltr 

oonferred by it8 charter, the gmoral authority o? tim 

oounty ooart over the rubjoet mditer ooatimea to l riab, 

rnQ my be oxerolsed, It 18 only when both bodies attempt 

to sot ln opposltlon to, and in sonfllot with Qsoh other, 

that the power and authority of oae muat oeam end yield 

to that or the other, and In suoh a 8tate of thing8, I aa 

of the opiaion that the authority o? the Oounty oourt mult 

yield to that of the town 0oun0~1.” 
180 

Hon. B. Pat Edwards - Page 3 

Whet i8 tbo import of tha above language? It 1s olmr to 

t8.I that it moans that the oity and the oountf mny uork together 

with rapat to aounty roads ~4thin the city, and only upon a 

aonflfot bbtwban the oity and tb, aounty is the authority @ the 

oounty o ver luoh roads done rway with. 

The oourt in the oaM of &%th v. oathey, 226 3. ‘N. 158, 

oonaidorad SubdivlaUon 6 ot Artiole 2241, tprnon'a Saylea* 

Tore8 Civil BtStUteb 1914 (Subdiv.6, Art. 2351, Rsviaad ci~ll 

St(ltutb~ oi 1925), whidh daalt with the QQW~XS of tb ooBIpriaaionera* aaurt and provided as tollowat 

"(6) To r~~erolee $eueral aontrol and auporlntondenoe 

over all roads, hl&hwsya, ferrioa 4nd bridges in their 

00untlea.* 

The aourt hrd the following to my: 

., 

*~f~rubditinion 6 ilr &ton p o wer to l xeroiae 

oontrol aud l uperiatmdonoo OYU? all roads and highways in the aountlar. This ir Subjeot to tha powara 

usually Qraated to oities and towna ov4r streets, eta,,. 

within ita limits, when lb ebooaea to take jurlsaiotion 

and the oity or town am8 proper to exorolsa aooh powers. 

Rut wham the oit 

l reroiae l ueh jur I 

or town do44 not dean It proper to 

sdiotlon, and does not objeot to,the 

oount &roping up l aah road or atrert, the oou~ty km4 

the r i @at to do ao." 

The oourt aited 3tiats v. Jones, uupra, and quoted at length 

rrom the opinfon. 

Ta the ae44 of Bughas v, Uountp Uoamiseionrrst Court of 

Barrio $tounty, 33 3. W. (2d) 818, the question hsforr the oourt 

x~n tLu, lealltl of an egrrament between Earris County and the 

City oi HoustQn ahereby the oounty‘agremd to eontribute $25,000 

as iter part of the oorf of widening and oth*rafee lmprovin~ Yala 

Street, a oounty road whioh has boon taken in by tho Oitg of 

Houston By extending its boundrrira. The oourt quot4b at length 

from Stat4 v. Jones and snlith tr Cathey, aupra, and held that tha 

agreement WIS ontiroly logel. Blr quote the Zollowil3g exoergta 

fxom the opinion O? the Mt: 

*Th county ha8 by ?irtUo of the ~XWI~IOXUJ of 

the pAera lawa oi f,hia State, as well 48 by the 

Harris oounty looal road law, the right to expend its 

funda in the FmpxovamsAt Oi a at&Wet WithiA the OOrpOr4te 

limit8 of a oity which is also a pub110 road of the OOUAtY, 

0~~00irrily SO v&en auoh improvwnsnt is done with the con- 

#eAt aAd invitation of the Oitg authorltiea. 
Eon. 8. Pat Edmrda - Page 4 

l *fn the ease at bar, it la cot nooeaaery to 

aaaum* an rbsonor of 00nR10t. tt 4pp44ra l tiixmatln1~ that there is l ntlrlr aword. 89 that ovea if it 8o 

assume4 that thr pawar to exoroia ooatrol OIW a awed 

is 4 neoeosary pradioata tor find cl 6 authority to expfbnd oauntg fun68 la lmprovilrg a tatr8rt--yhioh wa have 

8houa la rat a* all tru*--tbo law am 

7 

doolared that 

Sueh'pow4r &*a l tiaii in t& Sounbf; 1 la tcwporarlly 

in l bepaocr 8o lane 88 the eltr oxarofara its right, but 

0~011 Uad*r th4 g4asral 14~. rhor4 the oity naitra its 

right, the gjemral power of the oountf la fully res%ored 

sot3 it may eaut?me ooatrol and aupw~ntaadsnao over waya 

wft4a the dty, 

**Upon bhbr nbol4 84~. we S~O of bhe opfoioa that 

y&w ecmdoatonerar oowt weld not hem authority, 

wlthout tho oon8ent rad rapulrroenae 02 the olty oounoila 

of the oitiea or tow.8 in th4 oouaty to oonatruot xoada 

within ouch oitlra or time ualeaa ib might be in * 

oity or iaaorporatrd towa & whicrh tram some uciuaa there 

is not a de faato mualoipal overnataat in the activ4 dieohargo af thetb orPfloi41 dot P 48." Yfo think, howaver, 

that with tlm conarnt o? the 4itl oounSll8 theym$ght 

aonatrual or 60-o m-at* in oonatruating roads through 

auab tome or sib 4 0s. t 

*In Hez&a eountp bhero arc a dolti mmloipallbiarr. 

If tha oontontiona of ooune81 ior 8pQ4llRRt,Rr4 oorr44t. 

bh4 oountf of Harris Stead8 powrlesr to e~snd a dollar 

on roada through aaoh aualoipalitlea. It would be acinf 

sllrd bo leave gaps 1s irn ortaat hlghwapa, evm t bough 

t is l r ulo uand a able to L prom the *ema out oi its 

road fund, alla mm bhhaugb tbr muRl&mllby OOAoOrnOd 

la uflliag 8nd anxioru it should do soI 

‘The weight of authority sums to indiaate that 

under the g8nimsl law the aountiea have the aonatitution4l 8nil 8tatutory ponor to axprna th4ir ro4ikfunda 

in th4 improwmenb of theL ~ocrda whioh 'pass through 

4 munloiplitp, au% that thay have bh4 right to improve 

auoh roads, though they be stneta of auoh muniai allties, 

with the coneant of the munioipallti4a. State vb 0 ones, 

1.8 Tex. S7br E#altb v. Cathoy (l’em.,OivrAyp.), 226~ S.W. 

1581 B44art t.,Bllaa Gountg (Tex,Uir~App.I,266 3?W. 540. 

II II ..I 
li 

, 

182 

, 

‘Our Suprrlai, Court ha& the iollowlry quratloa b~?op~ $t la 

tha.0888 Oi CitJ 0f ~~Ok~DFid$~ V. StdphtN38 UotInt~, 40 3. W. 

(241 '43:. 

Wobar the Oonatltutlon aad law of thla atate 

doer tha oonPniaalolura* oowt of l a o ua ty hat. the 

authorltl to axpen& aountr road iunda fop tbm kprw+ 

mBt of tha atreata of lnoorporated oiticse aa4 towns 

boat& in auah Qounty, where auah 8Qr eta arq ommWilnglixik~, and $ntegrsl prta as count a9 road8 or atato 

h.lghWj-89" 

The wurt held aa tollowar 

*Aftor II oarefali lBtantlgUtla5 or the authozdtlel, 

inaludir& the Conatltutlon rad lan ot this ate&e, we 

have rawhe the ooaolu8loothat the ooamlaeioaa~a~ 

aourt dear hava lawful authorlt~ tompond oomty road 

bead fund@ for the kapxovimrrnt or olty &meet8 where 

8UOh StiWtr iQT8I :13tO@*l pgTt8 oi OOUBtJ FOld8 O? 

mtatr hi@w 

Y 

I, rhea maah i 

4f.i 

OlbMBt# WI aad. Without oonfllst ng with the fur 62atlan ef tha mu~le$ 1m 

ity, Of With it8 0OBEedt Or epprotal. sWtiOB 52, ct. 

3, Teraa Conatitutlon~ State v. Jonear, 18 ?!ex, 874f 

Smith T. cathey (~ox.dir.~ppg.l, 226 9. S. 158,160~ 

Uainoa t. Heeljr Uoartruotioa Co. (Tex.~l+.Agp.),242 

S.W. J26,, $29 (wzlb rarused. 

=Whrn the road bonds are toted by aa entire 

oounty, the lneo rated oltlea aad tomu loaatml 

thorain am oerta TIQ lnt4gal tta at the oountp. 

ft,Wa n6t nroraatiry to arpreaa r r PO rtatcr llr tJcm 

oo~titutloMl prorlcion abora montirvhad. All tarable property @ a 6QUBty fr, aubjrot to tU8tiOB 

for t&a payment of oount 

7 

road bonds. Thr Wmm%l)- 

alo~orr*‘eourt ha8 tha r gkt to axpsdd OouBtY r-4 

bond.ruads on oouaty roads and higtbmm in aq pa-8 

of tho oouaty. Xf I street of 1111 lnoclrparatod town or 

o:ty iorpLs a eonaeotlng lid In the OouBty ~066 Or 

atrtr highway, we think it 18 a bOU?Xtr Foad within 

the a@&&% or tho statutes to the extent that OOUnjiY: 

faada may be *gent ior the laprmrm)at thereof 

w oowB4 the tom ok O* 6ot=n:n8 ward pa4=-:4 

baa pa~&unl, jurl~aiotio~ of the atraet~ and high-va 

tharwf, ana the ~~~&aalonera* owrt would have Ii0 

authopity t,~ l:~~~va street8 or hIghWe 8 within UUBl- 

~:pdl:tl~~ in sonfllot wlth the jurisd f OtlOB of the 

olty tb lltiprow tha a-. xowevm, au’111 thqln~taat 

oaae, w&we Mm improvement 1s XQU~* wlQh f&e Oon8*nt 

01: approval of the elty we find rw 8tatutorV Or @Onabltutlonal slllpedim*nt. In hot, wa think tha 

aueopltlga above eltsd .fUlly EUh3lB the rl&t*‘” 
Hon. B. Bat Edwards - Page 6 

The OWxt quoted from the opinioa o? Siiete t. JQAW, rupra, 

aad we rlah to rwiunpb*Eiso the ? ollo~rlag l reoaptt 

wt . ..It ir only when both bodibr rttempt be 

rot ia oppoaitian to, End In ooa?liat with ~44 

other, that the potrsr and ruthuxity of OM mat 

06aaa onb ylold to that of tkr otlke, 8nd la aueh 

a atate of thioga, 2 an of t&r dpfnfah that tha 

ruthwlty of the Ooaaty Court muat ylald to that 

O? the tOWB cb\iaoi~.‘” 

% 

Buaod UpOB the for*@43 authority, it la elrar to ua t&at 

0 oounty may Bob pwohnar land la an lnoor 

war pwpoama if auoh purahsra aosfllota WI 

oratrd olty ror h1+ 

orirdlotloa 

or the munsoiprllty; hewerat, it lo our oplnlon ? the olty 

appmman, ooarrrmta to, l oqUie~+368 ox ooopwatea la tha pumhma, 

thoa thr oouat~ m8y pUr*lu88 the lead for woh pmrpore. This 

riau is not inoomirtont with thhr holding that tE* rauaty may 

not 00nam auah lea& The poww a? ooniIemn8tlon, I? prseeat 

In thq oeunty, 

of the oity. 

uarld b there m$axdlwa of oonaent or a~ roval 

8uoh powor would ooarliot with the Jurlsdlo g loa er 

the 019~ OT~P its 8tXetttE$ thwofore, under 8apla authority thuro 

la no euoh pawe? in tha oounty. But thsc, la *pcww to puxahaoq~ with 

the approval or ognneikt o? the atty. 

Aa ym aentlmt*d in your brief, oourtlsaaro prsoluded ?rcn 

making any frPOrotrraint o? B au&y roads which hare boon deaigaatad 

aa state highwaya, axeopt the furnlahlag et rfght-or-way& Artlole 6674~6, Y.A.U.B., prorldw in parts 

@t...Ro farther i3lpromsent of a uil b yatea a&*11 

be mdo wlth t&o rid O? or with aa 

by the OOUt$,l, ssoapt the @Oquf6 I 

moaira iuralshad 

tfon Or Xi&t-Ofways *IOh may be tarnlahrd by the oountloa, t4kelr 

rubdfofaorr or deilned reed di8triota.w 

TOW ~oeablon* are, thsreror*, mawared Pa iolfowat 

1. A oounty dew not hsto thelagal ri&t to aoquirr property iB aQ inoorp6rat.d rlty er town fez stat* highffay purpose8 

by ooadmaatioa. 

2, Eme~w, it map purohase auob laobe to? right-of-way 

~UF~O~W for rtatr h&kiwaya I? tha oity or tom approvea, 60% 

aenta, or agsma to auoh purohaue. 

3. The prooeetla or road bond8 Issued ior auoh ptar~oea may 

be tared to purohaae auoh %?lght-Of-WWi. It it la sp00irw.t in the 

prg-elg&ion order #at tha prooeade rill be spent anly OxI OWtsiB 

n-d ~ghwaya, then the prooeeda may bo apent cm no other highwaya, ?or guoh aprolfiaation la a part a? and a limitation OB th0 

bond purpoeo t In Oplnloa Flo. O-J.190 fhi8 departmrnt hold that 

a oounty la without authority to 1~1~0va oity atreats unleaa auoh 

l t,r etJto o g nr tituto l p a r t o f thtt OoUiW road DJTlte% A OOPY oi 
. 

Eon. H. Pat Zdvmrds - Page 7 

thi8 opinion ha8 alwhdp ‘iWan rorwarded to you. 

4* Hot only may a&oh bond prooscds ba usrd to purobrsa tha 

right-of-ways, but also any appropriate road funds may ba so used. 

It ia amphaslaad that the oountp baa the power toIniwere~o 

euoh land only ror oountp or state hl&hwey purpoess. 

s.ords, the eountg has no power or authority with rsspsot to olty 

streets M&ah QW nob pert or the oountp ro&@ or state highwar 

rgrtem,