OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

HonorableCharlesS. MaXfllan CountyAttorney San hugustine County San Augustine,Texae Dear Slrx

yu eoaaiy rer re the mtrmat axrcu 

### that,pmlv ot e36e6see th6 a6iderb.gt&h :questlom, ur appreolation.

debb for any purpose shall in any manner by any city or ~~~lslon is made, at the tiae of

, for levylag and aolleatlng a sufficient tax to pay the intereetthereonand providz ;t*lzast two par cent (S$) as a sinking iand;
. Our Supreme Court in 1895 stated the e&feat of the above constitntiodal provision as follows:HonorableCharles 5. MoMillan,Page 2

"Therefore,

the attempted *creation' or *inourrhg* or a 'debt*.for any conceivable purpose, and in any conoelvable manner, without making the *provialonl,

is contraryto the expressprohibition or the oonstitutloa ad void; and it IS wholly immaterialwhether the oonslderatlon or *purpose*

or the transaction

be properly olassedas an item of orfl~aary

or current expenses,or otherwise,and whether the 'debt'be evfdenaedby an ordinary verbal. or written contract,a note, or a bond." l&Wetllr. City Of W30, 89 Ter. Sg,, +X5 Sr.W. X32.

otiae fmud #at tEe obX%@ticm8 waxa aot wdebtaw aud It was upon thIsbaaim,that thair~afi~ty*as euatai.~~Q.It fs 8tatOdln tEa opinions

** * *but under no.oae of.the assiglDBent& doea the plainti$Z In error raise the qrtestion t&at for the years la whleh the water was used by she CityBonorableCharles S. bfoMlllan, Page 3

of Tyler the currentexpenseswere greater than the current revenue. The making or a contrtctror water for a number of years to be delivered in the future did not create a debt against the aity, but the liabilityof the city arose upon the use by it of the water during each year. * * * It is thererore imaterial that the ourrent expensesfor 1889 were greater than the current revenue or the City or Tyler, and we shall nat further discuss that phase of the question." Whetheran obligationcreates a *debt*WI&IQ ths a- ‘bare Constlfutlodal

pro~IaIon Is not eontrolledby a detemlnatfon that it may ba properly olassitfedas *orQInar$expense*~ for auah expensesmay oonstltutea *debt? If It Is Iatonded that they shall be pa%d out or the revanuesof futare yeas+ 

### or, If .thay, togetherwith the valid outstandfng warrants agalwt t&a fuud exceeds the moneys availableplus the reasonablyan$Ioipated revennesfor the year. Carron olted saprai Bramale J. .Btrength,

aupra, was a ease oonoemed with *ordinary~ens#@. .anQthe warrantswere payable o-sit or the g&ersl -~~VMIUO mud. The 

### oonrt

ob8ervad: '** * *It &teems

to us It easily aould be Qetar&mid at any tti whether the sum of &aIms reprewatlag urQla8ry ampeases of the eouaty a-, momted to'as mueh'ae~-It reasonabLyueulQ bs axpeoted the earreat rawaaues of the aountywoulQ .aarouat

s. When it was found they dIQ, It seems to UE it might very well ba aald that sush on%- nary expqase8or ths ooonty as were thereafter InourreQwere .+&In the prohibitionof wutlom 9 ore Artlale X.1

or the Constftatlon,w It Is oar opinion that warrants Issued by a aouaty 

### for ourrentexpenses are void, where a0 provIsion la mado aa provided la Constitution,

Artlale Il.,

Section I, at the tInm the obllgation Is Inourred~and it In intended that they shall be paid oat 

### es revenues 

### or rutuF0 yeara, or where such warrantswhen addad to ml.ld outstanding warrants againat the fund exaeed the available balance and the reasonableand lawfully oontemplated or expaotqd revenaes for that year. What may be reasoaablyand ladull]HonorableCharles S. MaMlllan,Page 4

contemplated or expected revenues for the year does not necessarily depend-upon actual collections.

Inasmuahae your request does not aet forth the facts oontrolling

the warrant.6

you have in mind, we are unable to give you a categorioal auawer as to their validity.

Your8 very truly ATTORNEY@NEFUL OFTEXA8

,

hPPROV'5Q

JUL 14, 1939 BY Aseirtent

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